Comedian Larry David Regrets FTX Super Bowl Ad

American comedian Larry David, known for his involvement in popular television series such as “Seinfeld,” and as the creator of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” recently opened up about his regrettable participation in an advertisement for the now failed cryptocurrency exchange, FTX. In an interview with the Associated Press on January 31st, David admitted that he had sought advice from friends who were well-versed in the cryptocurrency industry before agreeing to appear in a Super Bowl commercial promoting FTX. The ad, which aired during the highly anticipated Super Bowl LVI in February 2022, urged viewers not to miss out on the next big thing, with David humorously rejecting other investment opportunities before ultimately choosing crypto.

David candidly expressed his feelings of foolishness, as he stated, “So, like an idiot, I did it.” Unfortunately, his decision to participate in the ad ended up costing him a significant amount of money, as part of his compensation was received in cryptocurrency. On top of his financial losses, David alluded to the class-action lawsuits that he, along with other celebrities who endorsed FTX, faced. The plaintiffs alleged that David had not conducted sufficient research into FTX before agreeing to promote the exchange.

Following David’s ad and other factors, FTX ultimately filed for bankruptcy in November 2022, approximately nine months after the commercial aired. The former CEO of the exchange, Sam Bankman-Fried, faced serious legal consequences as well. Bankman-Fried was arrested, charged, and convicted on multiple felony counts relating to the misuse of funds between FTX and his company, Alameda Research. He is set to be sentenced in March.

The upcoming Super Bowl LVIII, scheduled to take place on February 11th, is expected to draw a massive audience due in part to the presence of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, whose boyfriend Travis Kelce is a prominent player in the Kansas City Chiefs team. Notably, the usual cryptocurrency advertisements were absent during Super Bowl LVII in 2023 following the collapse of FTX and other similar firms. It remains uncertain whether any companies plan to release commercials for the highly anticipated event in 2024.