Did Tom Brady nearly buy an NFL team with Sam Bankman-Fried? Revisiting FTX founder’s conversation
Tom Brady is seen by most as the greatest quarterback in NFL history and the best to play the game. Following 23 seasons, the seven-time Super Bowl decided to hang up the cleats. His post-NFL career saw Brady dip his toes into other ventures, including cryptocurrency.
In May 2022, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried talked with Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House Communications Director under President Donald Trump. Bankman-Fried told Scaramucci about the idea of him and Brady buying an NFL franchise:
"They were talking about other famous people. A couple of days earlier, Mr. Bankman-Fried had been shooting Twitter videos with Tom Brady, the N.F.L. quarterback. Brady was awesome."
"Maybe we’ll buy a football team together someday. The Mooch put a fatherly hand on Mr. Bankman-Fried’s shoulder. You couldn’t get a better guy."
The former New England Patriots great and Bankman-Fried joined forces in 2021. Tom Brady was given $30 million in FTX stock, while his then-wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, received $18 million in the company's stock.
Brady served as an ambassador while Bündchen was in charge of the organization’s environmental and social initiatives. Those massive shares the former couple had are worth nothing.
FTX filed for bankruptcy last November as Bankman-Fried stepped down as the CEO. The former three-time NFL MVP and the supermodel were named in a class-action lawsuit against FTX for promoting the company last November.
As for Bankman-Fried, he was arrested in December last year in The Bahamas after criminal charges were pressed against him. His charges include conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. He will face over 100 years in prison if convicted on numerous charges.
How much did Tom Brady make in his NFL career?
The first 20 seasons of his career were spent with the Patriots, and he became the team's starter in his second season in the league. In all, he made close to $235.2 million in his two decades with New England.
Brady played the final three seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He made almost $97.8 million, including over $69 million in his last two years with the team.
The Hall of Famer made nearly $333 million on the football field.
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