Former FTX spokesperson and investor Kevin O’Leary is trying to rope singer-songwriter Taylor Swift into his category by claiming that Swift only shook off the $100 million FTX deal because the exchange was already going bankrupt.
Speaking to YouTuber Kevin Paffrath on Thursday, O’Leary casually “speculated” that “the only reason she didn’t $100 with FTX is that they blew up first.”
Paffrath on the other hand, speculated that the recent headlines about Swift dodging the FTX bullet was more about the law firm advertising itself than the singer actually managing to dodge anything.
It was reported in December that FTX’s disgraced founder Sam Bankman-Fried had wanted to pay Swift $100 million to endorse the exchange, in a deal that allegedly included a ticketing arrangement that would allow fans to use non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to pay for Swift’s concerts.
A person familiar with the discussion said that Swift gave no indication of wanting to endorse the now-bankrupt crypto exchange. “Taylor would not, and did not, agree to an endorsement deal. The discussion was around a potential tour sponsorship that did not happen,” the person said.
The discussion happened months before the exchange collapsed in November.
Meanwhile, Kevin O’Leary has been named in a $5 billion class action lawsuit against a long list of FTX celebrity boosters — led by the same law firm Paffrath was alluding to.
Information for this story was found via Benzinga, Meet Kevin, the Financial Times, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
