In a Super Bowl ad, Larry David joked about cryptocurrency. Now he’s getting sued for promoting FTX.
Larry David scoffs at the idea of investing in cryptocurrency in a Super Bowl ad for FTX that aired Feb. 13, 2022. (Screenshot via YouTube)
(JTA) — Jewish comedian Larry David is being sued in a class action lawsuit for his role in promoting the failed cryptocurrency exchange platform FTX as a brand ambassador during a Super Bowl commercial.
The commercial, which aired during the 2022 Super Bowl in February, showed David in various historical moments resisting technological and political innovations, such as the advent of the fork and the lightbulb, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the creation of the Walkman, leading up to him to ultimately decline an offer to get involved in FTX’s crypto exchange.
“Like I was saying,” the FTX man selling to David says, “it’s a safe and easy way to get into crypto.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” David says. “And I’m never wrong about this stuff. Never.”
The image freezes, and text appears on the screen: “Don’t be like Larry. Don’t miss out on the next big thing.”
Now, anyone who bought into FTX then or at any other time is likely wishing they had listened to David’s character. Last week, the company filed for bankruptcy and CEO and founder Sam Bankman-Fried resigned from his position amid a run on withdrawals by investors spooked by concerns raised by others in the industry. Federal regulators are reportedly investigating FTX and Bankman-Fried’s conduct.
The lawsuit was filed by Oklahoma resident Edwin Garrison, who says he is seeking to recover damages and relief stemming from trading with FTX on his own behalf and on behalf of “all others similarly situated.”
David is among 13 celebrity defendants listed in the lawsuit who were among the crypto exchange’s star-studded brand ambassadors, including professional basketball, football and tennis players, as well as Bankman-Fried.
The downfall of FTX has ignited sweeping disdain for Bankman-Fried, including from run-of-the-mill to high-profile antisemites.
This article originally appeared on JTA.org.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
