🎩💼🌟Da Super Connector Who Wen Build Sam Bankman-Fried’s Celebrity World 📸💰

Michael Kives, one ex-Hollywood agent, wen connect FTX’s founder to Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Bill Clinton, an’ oddas. One lawsuit claim his company wen get $700 million in exchange. 🤝💸

‘Round 10 months befo’ he wen get arrested fo’ fraud, Sam Bankman-Fried, da big kahuna in da cryptocurrency world, wen pose fo’ one photo at da 2022 Super Bowl in Inglewood, Calif. 📸🌴

On one side, you get Orlando Bloom an’ Katy Perry, da celebrity couple. On da odda side, you get Kate Hudson, da actress. In da middle, wit’ his arm ova Sam Bankman-Fried’s shoulder, stay one not-so-well-known guy: Michael Kives. 😎👫

Mr. Kives, one ex-Hollywood agent turn investor, wen play one unusual role in Mr. Bankman-Fried’s empire: da super connector. Him an’ his business partner, Bryan Baum, wen help da young founder make connections wit’ Mr. Bloom, Ms. Perry, an’ former President Bill Clinton. Dey wen introduce him to all kine celebrities an’ business leaders, from Leonardo DiCaprio to da governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. 🤝🌟🤵

Da relationship wen benefit both parties. Mr. Bankman-Fried wen invest $700 million in Mr. Kives’s venture-capital firm, according to court records, and das one huge amount fo’ support fo’ one fund dat no get much experience wit’ start-up investments. Mr. Kives, da founder an’ face of da firm, an’ Mr. Baum each wen get $125 million as part of da deal. 💰💼

Mr. Kives, who stay 42 years old, an’ Mr. Baum, who stay 34 years old, stay part of one network of behind-the-scenes folks who wen introduce celebrities an’ odda influential people to da crypto industry, which used to be on top of da world. Befo’ cryptocurrencies wen crash last year, celebrities from Hollywood, professional athletes, business moguls, an’ politicians wen endorse da market, makin’ it seem legit an’ reliable even though da industry had no much regulation. 🎥⚽💼💪

Now, wit’ da legal consequences from da crypto industry’s downfall, we get one glimpse into how all dem promotions wen come togetha. We get text messages, dinner parties, an’ friendly introductions dat wen fuel dis world of fame, power, an’ big-money deal-makin’. 💼📱🍽️💫

On Thursday, FTX’s bankruptcy lawyers wen sue Mr. Kives’s company, K5 Global, fo’ get back da money dat Mr. Bankman-Fried wen invest. Da $700 million stay one of da biggest sums Mr. Bankman-Fried wen contribute to any group. Da lawsuit wen say he wen make da investment fo’ boost his own political an’ social influence. 👔💼

According to da lawsuit an’ a version of da crypto mogul’s contract wit’ Mr. Kives an’ Mr. Baum, Mr. Bankman-Fried wen agree fo’ invest up to $3 billion ova three years in K5. Da lawsuit argue dat Mr. Bankman-Fried wen do no meaningful due diligence an’ wen “excessively” pay Mr. Baum an’ Mr. Kives. It describe da transactions as one fraudulent scheme fo’ enrich da executives. Mr. Bankman-Fried, who stay 31 years old, wen plead not guilty to da fraud charges. 👔💼🔍

Da spokesperson fo’ K5, Elizabeth Ashford, wen say dat da lawsuit “no get grounds,” an’ dat K5 wen believe dey was enterin’ one legitimate, long-term business relationship wit’ Mr. Bankman-Fried. Da spokesperson fo’ Mr. Bankman-Fried wen no comment on da matter. 💼🙅‍♂️

Mr. Kives, who used to work fo’ President Clinton, wen start workin’ fo’ Creative Artists Agency in 2003. He wen represent actors like Bruce Willis an’ Arnold Schwarzenegger. At his weddin’ in Palm Springs, Calif. in 2019, Katy Perry wen sing “Hava Nagila,” one Jewish folk song, an’ two writers from “The Office” wen do one roast. 🎵📺

Mr. Kives wen start K5 in 2018. Later on, Mr. Baum wen join him. Mr. Baum stay one entrepreneur who wen co-found one software company dat wen get bought by Lyft. K5 wen invest in start-ups like SpaceX an’ Boring Company, which stay run by Elon Musk. Dey wen build one portfolio wit’ 148 companies. 💼🚀

As dey wen build K5, Mr. Kives an’ Mr. Baum wen brag ’bout da connections dey get, includin’ one wit’ billionaire financier Warren E. Buffett. But Mr. Buffett wen say in one interview dat Mr. Kives always stay “name-droppin'” an’ dat he wen claim dey get connection to him, even though dey no really do. Mr. Buffett wen say he knew Mr. Kives from his time at Creative Artists Agency. He say Mr. Kives wen contact him few times about investment opportunities, but he wen decline. 💼💼💼

In late 2021, Mr. Kives wen use his network fo’ build one relationship wit’ Mr. Bankman-Fried, who stay gainin’ popularity as cryptocurrencies wen blow up. Dey wen get in touch ova email, according to da lawsuit, an’ Mr. Kives wen introduce Mr. Bankman-Fried to da musician Sia. 👨‍💻📧🎶

Two days befo’ da Super Bowl last year, Mr. Bankman-Fried wen go to one party at Mr. Kives’s house in Beverly Hills, Calif., wea’ he wen hang out wit’ Katy Perry an’ Orlando Bloom, according to four people in da know. During karaoke, three of dose people say, Katy Perry wen sing one song dat mention FTX’s name. Da next day, she wen post on Instagram dat she stay quittin’ music fo’ become one FTX intern. 🏡🎤🎉

Mr. Bankman-Fried wen latah say dat Mr. Kives stay one of da most connected people he evah met, according to da lawsuit. He wen even reserve space fo’ Mr. Baum in one apartment complex in da Bahamas, wea’ FTX stay. He wen let K5’s partners have access to FTX’s internal message channels. 💼💼💼📲

In April 2022, Mr. Bankman-Fried wen host one four-day crypto conference in da Bahamas. Katy Perry an’ Orlando Bloom wen come to da event at da Baha Mar resort in Nassau, an’ dey wen eat wit’ Mr. Bankman-Fried an’ odda high-profile guests. Mr. Clinton, who Mr. Kives wen introduce to Mr. Bankman-Fried, wen appear on one panel wit’ da FTX founder. 👨‍💼🌴🍽️

By dat time, FTX wen make official endorsement deals wit’ celebrities like Tom Brady an’ Larry David. Three people who know say dat Katy Perry also had talks wit’ FTX ’bout one official endorsement. Mr. Bankman-Fried rave ’bout how Mr. Kives stay one of da most connected people he evah met. He even wen reserve one place fo’ Mr. Baum in one apartment complex in da Bahamas, wea’ FTX stay. He wen let da K5 partners join FTX’s internal message channels. 🤝📜🤩

In June 2022, Mr. Bankman-Fried wen go to one charity gala at Casa Cipriani in New York. Leonardo DiCaprio stay dea too. Mr. Kives wen find out an’ wen text da actor, tellin’ him fo’ talk story wit’ Mr. Bankman-Fried. 💼🏰🌃

‘Round da same time, Mr. Kives wen introduce Mr. Bankman-Fried to MasterClass, one website dat offer tutorials from famous folks, according to three people who know. Mr. Bankman-Fried wen film one lesson ’bout cryptocurrencies last summer, but da segment wen end up gettin’ cut from da final version. 📹👨‍🏫💻

Representatives fo’ Bobby Kotick, da CEO of da video game company Activision Blizzard, wen decline to comment on whether he met Mr. Bankman-Fried at Mr. Kives’s Super Bowl party. In April 2022, Mr. Kives wen text Elon Musk, tellin’ him fo’ team up wit’ Mr. Bankman-Fried fo’ buy Twitter. But dat wen happen before da lawsuit, so no know if Mr. Musk wen seriously consider it. 🎮🌍💬

Mr. Baum wen use his connections too. Last year, he wen set up one meetin’ between Mr. Bankman-Fried an’ Nelson Peltz, one billionaire investor, according to four people who know. Mr. Peltz stay so impressed wit’ Mr. Bankman-Fried dat he wen invite him to da star-studded weddin’ of his daughter, Nicola, an’ Brooklyn Beckham, da son of David an’ Victoria Beckham. But Mr. Bankman-Fried neva go. 💼💼💼🎩

Latah on, Mr. Baum wen help Mr. Bankman-Fried an’ his younger brother, Gabe, schedule one meetin’ wit’ Ron DeSantis, da governor of Florida, according to three people who know. Mr. Baum also wen arrange fo’ Mr. Bankman-Fried to appear wit’ Larry Fink, da CEO of da investment firm BlackRock, at one conference in New York. Three people who know say dat Mr. Baum wen introduce Mr. Bankman-Fried to Yasir al-Rumayyan, da leader of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, durin’ Mr. Bankman-Fried’s trip to da Middle East in October. 👥🗽🌍

Representatives fo’ Mr. DeSantis, Mr. Fink, an’ da Saudi fund wen no comment on da matter. 🙅‍♂️💼🌍

In November, FTX wen collapse afta deposits wen get drained, revealin’ one big $8 billion hole in its accounts. Mr. Baum an’ Mr. Kives wen try reach out to private equity firms an’ billionaires fo’ get cash an’ save da company, according to da lawsuit. But nobody wen step up to rescue FTX. Since FTX wen file fo’ bankruptcy, Mr. Kives an’ Mr. Baum wen stay silent ’bout deir relationship wit’ Mr. Bankman-Fried. 💼💰📉

But Mr. Kives still stay networkin’. In May, him an’ his wife, Lydia, wen host one dinner at deir Beverly Hills home. Da guest list wen include Hillary Clinton, Kris Jenner, Olivia Wilde, Leonardo DiCaprio, an’ Katy Perry, accord

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NOW IN ENGLISH

🎩💼🌟The Super Connector Who Built Sam Bankman-Fried’s Celebrity World📸💰

Michael Kives, a former Hollywood agent, played a crucial role in connecting FTX’s founder with A-list celebrities like Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Bill Clinton, and others. According to a lawsuit, his company received a staggering $700 million in exchange for his services as a super connector.🤝💸

Approximately 10 months before his arrest on fraud charges, Sam Bankman-Fried, the prominent figure in the cryptocurrency world, posed for a photograph at the 2022 Super Bowl in Inglewood, California. The picture captured Bankman-Fried alongside the celebrity couple Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry, with actress Kate Hudson on the other side. However, standing in the center with his arm draped over Bankman-Fried’s shoulder was a lesser-known figure: Michael Kives. 😎👫

Michael Kives, once a Hollywood agent turned investor, assumed an unconventional role within Bankman-Fried’s business empire as the ultimate connector. Together with his business partner, Bryan Baum, Kives facilitated valuable relationships between the young founder and influential figures such as Bloom, Perry, and former President Bill Clinton. They provided introductions to a plethora of celebrities and business leaders, ranging from Leonardo DiCaprio to the Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.🤝🌟🤵

This symbiotic relationship proved mutually beneficial. Court records reveal that Bankman-Fried invested a staggering $700 million in Kives’s venture capital firm, a remarkable level of support for a fund with limited experience in start-up investments. As part of the deal, the firm’s founder and face, Michael Kives, and his partner Bryan Baum each received $125 million.💰💼

Kives, 42, and Baum, 34, were integral members of a behind-the-scenes network that connected celebrities and other influential individuals to the cryptocurrency industry, which was soaring high until the market crash. Prior to the crash, endorsements from Hollywood stars, professional athletes, business magnates, and politicians created an illusion of credibility around this volatile and largely unregulated market.🎥⚽💼💪

With the legal aftermath of the crypto industry’s collapse, we gain a glimpse into the mechanisms behind these promotions. Text messages, dinner parties, and friendly introductions all played a role in fueling this world of fame, power, and lucrative deal-making.💼📱🍽️💫

On Thursday, FTX’s bankruptcy lawyers filed a lawsuit against Kives’s company, K5 Global, in an attempt to recover the funds that Bankman-Fried had invested. The $700 million investment was one of the largest contributions made by Bankman-Fried to any group. The lawsuit alleges that Bankman-Fried made the investment to enhance his own political and social influence.👔💼

According to the lawsuit and a contract between Bankman-Fried, Kives, and Baum reviewed by The New York Times, Bankman-Fried had agreed to invest up to $3 billion over three years in K5. The complaint claims that Bankman-Fried failed to conduct meaningful due diligence and excessively overpaid Baum and Kives, suggesting that the transactions were part of a fraudulent scheme to enrich the executives. Bankman-Fried, 31, has pleaded not guilty to the fraud charges.👔💼🔍

Elizabeth Ashford, a spokesperson for K5, dismissed the lawsuit as lacking grounds and stated that K5 had entered into a legitimate, long-term business relationship with Bankman-Fried. A spokesperson for Bankman-Fried declined to comment on the matter.💼🙅‍♂️

Kives, who previously worked as an aide to President Clinton, began his career at Creative Artists Agency in 2003, representing renowned actors like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Perry’s rendition of “Hava Nagila,” a Jewish folk song, at Kives’s wedding in Palm Springs, California in 2019, and a roast delivered by two writers from “The Office,” added a touch of star-studded glamour to the occasion.🎵📺

Kives established K5 in 2018, later joined by entrepreneur Bryan Baum, who co-founded a software company acquired by Lyft. K5’s portfolio boasts investments in SpaceX and the Boring Company, both headed by Elon Musk, and a total of 148 companies.💼🚀

While building K5, Kives and Baum actively promoted their connections, including their purported association with billionaire Warren E. Buffett. However, in an interview, Buffett dismissed Kives as a “name-dropper” who falsely claimed to have a connection with him. Buffett acknowledged knowing Kives from their time at Creative Artists Agency but stated that Kives had reached out to him on a few investment opportunities, all of which he declined.💼💼💼

In late 2021, Kives leveraged his network to establish a relationship with the rising star of the crypto world, Sam Bankman-Fried. Their initial contact took place via email, as outlined in the lawsuit, and Kives introduced Bankman-Fried to the musician Sia.👨‍💻📧🎶

Just two days before the Super Bowl the following year, Bankman-Fried attended a party at Kives’s Beverly Hills residence. Eyewitnesses confirmed that Bankman-Fried spent time mingling with Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom. According to three individuals, Perry even performed a song at the karaoke session, incorporating lyrics related to FTX. The following day, she posted on Instagram jokingly stating that she was leaving music to become an FTX intern.🏡🎤🎉

Bankman-Fried later expressed his admiration for Kives, hailing him as one of the most connected individuals he had ever encountered, as stated in the lawsuit. Bankman-Fried even reserved a space in an apartment complex in the Bahamas, where FTX was headquartered, for Bryan Baum. Furthermore, K5’s partners gained access to FTX’s internal messaging channels.💼💼💼📲

In April 2022, Bankman-Fried hosted a four-day crypto conference in the Bahamas, which was attended by Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, and other high-profile figures at the luxurious Baha Mar resort in Nassau. Bankman-Fried and former President Bill Clinton appeared together on a panel during the event. By this time, FTX had secured official endorsement deals with celebrities such as Tom Brady and Larry David. Three insiders revealed that Katy Perry had engaged in talks with FTX regarding a potential endorsement.👨‍💼🌴🍽️

Representatives for Bobby Kotick, the CEO of the video game company Activision Blizzard, declined to comment on whether he had met Bankman-Fried at Kives’s Super Bowl party. In April 2022, Kives texted Elon Musk, suggesting a partnership between Bankman-Fried and Musk for the acquisition of Twitter. However, this occurred prior to the lawsuit, and it remains unclear whether Musk seriously considered the proposal.🎮🌍💬

Baum also utilized his network to benefit Bankman-Fried. Last year, he arranged a meeting between Bankman-Fried and billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz. Peltz was so impressed with Bankman-Fried that he extended an invitation for him to attend the star-studded wedding of his daughter, Nicola, to Brooklyn Beckham, the son of David and Victoria Beckham. However, Bankman-Fried did not attend the event.💼💼💼🎩

Months later, Baum facilitated a meeting between Bankman-Fried and Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, in Miami. In addition, Baum arranged for Bankman-Fried to appear alongside Larry Fink, the CEO of investment firm BlackRock, at a conference in New York. According to messages obtained by The New York Times, Kives offered to introduce Bankman-Fried to Yasir al-Rumayyan, the leader of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, during Bankman-Fried’s trip to the Middle East in October.👥🗽🌍

Representatives for DeSantis, Fink, and the Saudi fund declined to comment on the matter.🙅‍♂️💼🌍

In November, FTX experienced a catastrophic collapse as a result of a run on deposits, which revealed an $8 billion shortfall in its accounts. Baum and Kives reached out to private equity firms and billionaires in an attempt to salvage the company by securing additional funds, as outlined in the lawsuit. However, no rescuers came forward, and since FTX filed for bankruptcy, Kives and Baum have remained silent about their relationship with Bankman-Fried.💼💰📉

Nevertheless, Kives has continued to expand his network. In May, he and his wife, Lydia, hosted a dinner at their Beverly Hills home, attended by luminaries such as Hillary Clinton, Kris Jenner, Olivia Wilde, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Katy Perry.