Ms Perry’s manager, Martin Kirkup, declined to comment on the endorsement talks and said her Instagram post was a “joke”. Representatives for Ms. Hudson and Mr. Bloom said that FTX did not compensate the actors in any way. And K5 spokeswoman Ms. Ashford said the firm has not brokered any of FTX’s formal endorsement deals.
But for months, the K5 partners acted as Mr. Bankman-Fried’s tour guides through the corridors of fame and power.
At Mr. Kives’ Super Bowl party, Mr. Bankman-Fried also met with Bobby Kotick, chief executive of video game company Activision Blizzard, said a person familiar with the matter. Mr Kives tried to foster the relationship by sending Mr Bankman-Fried a dinner invitation in April 2022 on Mr Kotick’s behalf, according to messages seen by The Times.
That month, Mr. Kives also sent a message to Mr. Musk, urging him to join Mr. Bankman-Fried. twitter acquisition, which Mr. Musk was following. “It might be a good idea to do this with Sam Bankman-Fried,” Mr Kives wrote in a message, which was released last year as part of a separate lawsuit.
Last June, Mr Bankman-Fried attended a charity Festival At Casa Cipriani in New York. Mr. DiCaprio was also at the event. When Mr. Kives found out, he sent messages to the actor encouraging him to speak to Mr. Bankman-Fried, said a person familiar with the matter.
Around the same time, Mr. Kives put Mr. Bankman-Fried in touch with Masterclass, a site for tutorials by famous people, said three people familiar with the matter. People said Mr. Bankman-Fried filmed a lesson on cryptocurrencies last summer. His segment was removed from the final version.
Representatives for Mr. Kotick and Mr. DiCaprio declined to comment.
Mr. Baum also took advantage of his network. Last year, he arranged a meeting between Mr. Bankman-Fried and billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz, said four people familiar with the matter. Mr. Peltz Was So Impressed With the FTX Founder That He Invited Mr. Bankman-Fried to the Star-Studded Ceremony The wedding of his daughter Nicola and Brooklyn BeckhamDavid and Victoria Beckham’s son, according to emails obtained by The Times. (Mr Bankman-Fried did not appear.)
