Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan among biggest losers of the FTX cryptocurrency meltdown

Article content

The meltdown of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX cost a handful of celebrities considerable sums of money.

Advertisement 2


Article content

The once high-flying company filed for bankruptcy in November, and its founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (who lost billions himself) is awaiting trial in New York City on fraud charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Co-founder Gary Wang reportedly lost nearly $2 billion.

Recently, a 68-page document revealed in court the individuals and investment firms who had the largest shares in the company. At its peak in September of 2021, FTX was valued at $32 billion U.S. At that point, shares were trading at $80.

Of course many more regular investors lost money too, just not as much individually as these people.

THE BIGGEST FTX LOSERS:

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, center, carries the trophy with his team’s then quarterback Tom Brady as they leave the field after the 2018 AFC championship game.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, center, carries the trophy with his team’s then quarterback Tom Brady as they leave the field after the 2018 AFC championship game. Photo by Associated Press

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen: The NFL legend and his super-model ex-wife starred in commercials for FTX and had a lot of shares.

Advertisement 3

Article content

Brady had 1.1 million common shares of FTX Trading, which were worth about $93 million at the peak, according to the Daily Mail.

Bundchen has more than 680,000 shares and they were worth $57 million at the high.

That said, nobody yet knows if they actually paid anything for the shares or were given them for promoting FTX.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time in the crypto-world and Sam and the revolutionary FTX team continue to open my eyes to the endless possibilities,” Brady said in 2021. “This particular opportunity showed us the importance of educating people about the power of crypto while simultaneously giving back to our communities and planet. We have the chance to create something really special here, and I can’t wait to see what we’re able to do together.”

Advertisement 4

Article content

Gisele Bundchen attends the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City.
Gisele Bundchen attends the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. Photo by Neilson Barnard /Getty Images

Brady’s agent, Don Yee, and a spokesman for Robert Kraft did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.

Robert Kraft: Kraft owns the NFL’s New England Patriots and is a close friend of Brady’s. He has a net worth of over $10 billion, so likely doesn’t care too much that his more than 600,000 shares, which were once valued at $53 million, are now virtually worthless.

Peter Thiel speaks at the New York Times DealBook conference on November 1, 2018 in New York.
Peter Thiel speaks at the New York Times DealBook conference on November 1, 2018 in New York. Photo by Stephanie Keith /Getty Images

Peter Thiel: Another billionaire, Thiel is worth over $7 billion. He founded Paypal and had around 300,000 shares valued at $25 million.

Advertisement 5

Article content

Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani has been one of the top pitchers and hitters in the American League this season.
Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani has been one of the top pitchers and hitters in the American League this season. Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea /USA TODAY Sports

Shohei Ohtani: Ohtani, one of the best players in baseball and a former MVP who both pitches and hits, took a stake as an ambassador in stock, company equity and cryptocurrency. It’s unclear exactly what the collapse cost him.

Other sporting figures like tennis star Naomi Osaka and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence also had similar deals. Steph Curry, Shaquille O’Neal and television star Larry David also lost out.

Leagues and arenas (like the home of the Miami Heat) have also been impacted by the collapse. The Miami arena will be named Miami-Dade Arena for now instead of FTX Arena.

Closer to home, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan took a sizeable hit. It will write down the entirety of its $95 million investment in FTX, according to reports.

The plan owned 11.9 million shares.

Advertisement 1

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.