Ftx: Celebrity Investors

Several celebrities invested in FTX, including NFL legend Tom Brady, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, NBA star Steph Curry, tennis player Naomi Osaka, former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal, baseball player Shohei Ohtani, and Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers. These individuals were brand ambassadors and shareholders of FTX, receiving equity stakes in the company and compensation in cryptocurrencies.

Tom Brady's $20 million ad campaign and equity stake

In 2021, Tom Brady and his wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, starred in a $20 million advertising campaign for FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange platform. The campaign, which aimed to help FTX break through to U.S. consumers, was timed to coincide with the National Football League season kickoff game between Tampa Bay and Dallas. The ads ran throughout October during NFL broadcasts and included digital advertising components. In one of the commercials, titled 'FTX. You In?', Brady calls his acquaintances, including NFL Jets superfan Fireman Ed, to join the platform.

In addition to the $20 million ad campaign, Brady also received an equity stake in FTX. In June 2021, Brady and Bündchen announced that they had taken equity stakes in the company. Brady stated that his collaboration with FTX and its CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, had opened up endless possibilities in the crypto space for him.

However, the relationship between Brady and FTX later became controversial due to the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange and the subsequent fraud and money laundering charges against Bankman-Fried. According to author Michael Lewis, who wrote a book about Bankman-Fried, the FTX CEO paid Brady $55 million for 20 hours of work per year for three years. Lewis also speculated that Brady had a good relationship with Bankman-Fried and was "crushed" when the scandal came to light.

Brady was among several celebrities who were subject to a class-action lawsuit filed in Florida in December 2022. The lawsuit accused them of not performing due diligence before promoting FTX products to the public.

Steph Curry's global ambassadorship and equity stake

On September 7, 2021, FTX announced a long-term partnership with three-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Stephen Curry. Curry became a global ambassador for the company and received an equity stake in FTX Trading Limited. Curry's foundation, Eat.Learn.Play, will also partner with FTX on charitable initiatives, with the company committing to providing an annual charitable contribution.

Curry expressed excitement about the partnership, stating that FTX "demystifies the crypto space and eliminates the intimidation factor for first-time users." He also praised the company's commitment to giving back to the community in meaningful ways. As an ambassador, Curry will help expand the reach of the FTX brand and promote the viability of cryptocurrency to new audiences worldwide.

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried welcomed Curry, highlighting his alignment with the company's core values and praising his charitable work and investing IQ. The partnership with Curry is part of FTX's strategy to leverage sports marketing and sponsorships to grow its brand and expand its reach.

Curry's deal with FTX is estimated to be worth $35 million, according to bestselling author Michael Lewis. However, Curry's involvement with FTX has also led to some legal issues, as he has been named in a class-action lawsuit associated with the exchange's collapse in November 2022. The lawsuit argues that celebrity endorsements, including those from Curry, were "fraudulent" and designed to take advantage of unsophisticated investors.

Naomi Osaka's equity stake

On March 21, 2022, tennis star Naomi Osaka took an equity stake in FTX, a Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange, and will be compensated in crypto. Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion and a prominent advocate for social justice and mental health awareness. She is also an investor in Sweetgreen, a salad chain, and an adviser to a special purpose acquisition company, Disruptive Acquisition Corporation I.

Osaka's deal with FTX includes a long-term partnership agreement, and she will wear the FTX logo during competitions. As part of the deal, Osaka will focus on attracting more women to the FTX platform and will play an active role in directing and producing content. In a news release, Osaka commented on the gender disparity in crypto, saying, "We have seen the statistics about how few women are part of crypto by comparison, which kind of mirrors the inequality we see in other financial markets." She added, "Cryptocurrencies started with the goal of being accessible to everyone and breaking down barriers to entry. I'm excited to partner with FTX to get back to that mission and to innovate on new ways to reach more people and further democratize the space."

Osaka is one of the first major female athletes to partner with FTX, joining the likes of Tom Brady, Shohei Ohtani, and Stephen Curry. The partnership between Osaka and FTX is a comprehensive one, with Osaka serving as a global ambassador and receiving an equity stake in the company. FTX's founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, expressed his desire to be at the forefront of social change and bring more diverse voices into the world of digital currency and Web3.

The deal with Osaka is part of FTX's long-term strategy to increase its brand visibility and attract more female users to its platform. FTX will also be donating to Osaka's Play Academy charity initiative, launched in partnership with Nike and Laureus. Osaka's involvement with FTX extends beyond brand ambassadorship, as she actively contributes to content creation and strategic direction, leveraging her cultural heritage and global reach to connect with diverse audiences.

Shaquille O'Neal's ambassadorship and equity stake

Shaquille O'Neal was an ambassador for FTX and had an equity stake in the company. In June 2022, O'Neal announced his partnership with FTX on social media, stating that he was "excited to be partnering with FTX to help make crypto accessible to everyone". He also changed his Twitter display name to "SHAQ.ETH" and "SHAQ.SOL" to promote NFT collections.

O'Neal has a history of investing in companies he promotes, including Shaq's Fun House, an annual part-festival, part-carnival event. He has stated that he makes more money from these investments than he did as an NBA star. However, in the case of FTX, O'Neal has denied serious involvement, claiming that he was "just a paid spokesperson for a commercial". He has also cited his friendship with Steph Curry as a reason for appearing in the FTX commercial.

Despite O'Neal's claims of minimal involvement, he has been named in a class-action lawsuit against FTX, along with other celebrity endorsers of the company, including Steph Curry, Tom Brady, and Gisele Bundchen. The lawsuit alleges that FTX's spokespeople "either controlled, promoted, assisted in, or actively participated" in a plot to "aggressively market" the company. O'Neal has been accused of defrauding investors following the collapse of FTX.

FTX's financial advisors are now attempting to retrieve some of the money paid to O'Neal and other celebrities for their promotions. It is unclear how much money O'Neal made from his endorsement deal with FTX, but it is estimated to be a significant amount, given his history of investing in companies he promotes.

Gisele Bündchen's $20 million ad campaign and equity stake

Gisele Bündchen, along with her then-husband Tom Brady, starred in a $20 million ad campaign for the cryptocurrency exchange platform FTX. The couple also took an equity stake in the company. The campaign, titled "FTX. You In?", was released in September 2021 and aimed to break through to U.S. consumers. It featured Brady calling various acquaintances, including NFL Jets superfan Fireman Ed, to join the platform. The ad campaign ran during NFL broadcasts throughout October 2021, along with digital advertising components.

In addition to the $20 million ad campaign, Bündchen also had a larger role at FTX as the head of the organization's environmental and social initiatives. She was appointed to this position in June 2021, and her appointment was announced at the Crypto Bahamas conference in April 2022. In this role, Bündchen committed to donating up to $1 billion to charitable causes through the FTX Foundation's Climate and Community funds.

Bündchen and Brady received a combined $50 million deal from FTX, which consisted largely of FTX stock. Following the bankruptcy of FTX, their shares became worthless. The couple was also named in a class-action lawsuit against FTX for promoting the company.

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