--- title: "They Tried to Pay Taylor Swift to Shill FTX, But She Shook Them Off" description: "SBF's Taylor Swift fandom led him to pursue a deal between the \"Midnights\" star and FTX — but she told the exchange that wasn't going to happen, like ever." date: "2022-12-09" modified: "2022-12-09" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/taylor-swift-ftx-deal" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Future Society" tags: - "ftx" - "sbf" - "taylor swift" - "the digest" --- # They Tried to Pay Taylor Swift to Shill FTX, But She Shook Them Off ![SBF's Taylor Swift fandom led him to pursue a deal between the "Midnights" star and FTX — but she told the exchange that wasn't going to happen, like ever.]() *\Image: Sarah Morris and Tom Williams via Getty / Futurism\* ## Karma Is a Breeze It may be time to add FTX's onetime wunderkind Sam Bankman-Fried to the long list of wannabe Taylor Swift suitors, amid reports that he wanted the pop star to shill for his now-collapsed crypto exchange. The twist, unlike other celebs ranging from [Tom Brady to Larry David](), is that Swift reportedly told FTX that wasn't going to happen — [like, ever](). Insiders [told the *Financial Times*]() that SBF was personally invested in pursuing a partnership deal with the pop queen because he was a "fan of Tay Tay." ## Cruel Summer While other execs at the firm, such as HR head Claire Watanabe, were also reportedly Swifties who favored the proposed deal, others told the *FT* that they thought Swift was a bad fit for FTX. The marketing team in particular thought she was "too expensive from the beginning," one unnamed source told the outlet. The *FT*'s sources suggested that there was talk of creating non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for fans. Others added that the deal was said to include a "light degree of endorsement," though sources close to Swift denied that aspect in subsequent reporting. "Taylor would not, and did not, agree to an endorsement deal," a source with knowledge of the negotiations told the *FT*. "The discussion was around a potential tour sponsorship that did not happen." Ultimately, Swift's reputation for being a [tough negotiator]() seems to have paid off when she declined an FTX partnership ahead of its [precipitous crash]() last month. Instead of getting bogged down by an anti-hero like SBF, she's getting to continue to ride the outrageous success of her latest album "Midnights" with little more than a [Ticketmaster scandal]() to her name. **More on FTX:** [*Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison Joked About Putting "Wire Fraud" on Her Dating Profile*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()