“Infinite” Jest

Sam Bankman-Fried seemed like a classic Michael Lewis character.
Sam Bankman-Fried seemed like a classic Michael Lewis character. Photo: Ray Tamarra/GC Images
William D. Cohan
October 15, 2023

Michael Lewis is a friend—we were colleagues at the old Vanity Fair for many years, shared some acquaintances, and I even interviewed him on stage at one of The Mooch’s SALT conferences in Las Vegas a few years back. It was wildly entertaining, thanks to Michael. But what I remember most from that event was how Michael was more than happy just to wing it and encouraged me to ask him whatever I wanted to ask, without hesitation or preparation. We last spoke in March 2022 for a piece I wrote in Puck about him and his views on the state of play on Wall Street.