After FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was released on bail and moved to his parents’ home in California, it was reported that SBF was visited by crypto-currency advocate Tiffany Fong, as well as the author of “Big Short“, Michael Lewis, while under house arrest. Tiffany Fong explained that she managed to interview SBF, while Michael Lewis visited her to probably get information about the fall of the FTX empire for the writer’s next book.
SBF received two visitors while under house arrest and before his arraignment in New York on January 3.
I met with Sam Bankman-Fried last night.
I haven’t written anything thoughtful out about our conversation – I’m just sharing because I’m getting some questions about this. I’m still in holiday mode & am visiting family in SF atm, so please be patient.
– Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) December 28, 2022
Since SBF was released on bail, reports indicate that two people have been allowed to visit the former FTX CEO while under house arrest. Tiffany Fong disclosed that she had met with SBF and indicated that she had not yet written anything when she tweeted about her discussion with SBF on December 28.
The next day, the New York Post ran a story on the subject article about Fong’s visit, and the article’s authors, Selim Algar, Andy Tillett and Patrick Reilly, decided to call Fong a “sexy crypto influencer.” The Post also used a photo of Fong wearing a bikini, and when the article was published, Fong didn’t like the depiction. “Jesus fkn christ,” Fong said. sharing the article.
jesus fkn christ. https://t.co/9OJyecfWLS
– Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) December 29, 2022
Tiffany Fong too detailed that it “was obviously not wearing a bikini” when she interviewed SBF, and she stated that the Post “decided to sneak into the business world“. According to her from old photos.” In addition to the Post, the Daily Mail also published an article about her visit, and Tiffany Fong said that Daily Mail reporters noted that she was not happy with the use of an old, irrelevant bikini photo in the Post article.
i obviously was not wearing a bikini. @nypost decided to creep thru old pics on my ig pretty gross.
– Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) December 29, 2022
“As soon as I offered a little commentary in response to their questions, the Daily Mail immediately changed their photo of me to a bikini photo,” Tiffany Fong stated sharing a screenshot of the original article and then the edited version. In addition to Fong’s statements, Taylor Lorenz of the Washington Post tweeted about the treatment Fong received from the Post and Daily Mail.
This is how @DailyMail approached me: noting I was not pleased with the use of an irrelevant old bikini photo in the @NYpost. As soon as I offered a sliver of commentary in response to their questions, @DailyMail immediately switched their photo of me to a bikini photo.🤮 pic.twitter.com/aZy7Kg1uAW
— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) December 29, 2022
“Tiffany Fong got big scoops by tirelessly covering FTX,“Lorenz tweeted. “She is respected by the traditional tech and finance journalists at Wapo, NYT, etc. What she does is journalism, but because she’s a young woman, that’s how the media treats her.“
Tiffany Fong also tweeted about how the Post wrote an article about the author’s visit to “Big Short“, Michael Lewis, at SBF, while she was in the process of doing so. said:
Michael Lewis actually “spent several hours” with Sam Bankman-Fried before me. Is Michael Lewis sexualized? [and] Bombarded with questions about whether they “fucked” or not?
The site article featuring Lewis published by the New York Post is very different from Fong’s article, and it does not show Lewis in a bathing suit or in speedos. The Post’s editorial on Lewis is quite similar to much of the material about the author of “Big Short“, “Moneyball” and “Flash Boys” who spent six months with SBF before the FTX collapse.
The Post article highlights how the “Lewis’ “publishing agency” pitched the book to potential buyers of film rights” and that the sales reports were leaked long before SBF’s arrest. The news that SBF has two visitors, after being released under house arrest, also follows accusations that the former FTX CEO moved $684,000 in crypto assets associated with Alameda addresses. In the Post article, the authors detailed that Tiffany Fong had further noted that SBF was on her computer during the duo’s discussion.