Comedian Larry David looks back at FTX Super Bowl commercial, says 'like an idiot, I did it'
Quick Take
- The comedian said his friends said it was fine to do, adding it was “totally on the up and up.”
Comedian Larry David is not looking fondly back on his decision to star in a Super Bowl commercial for bankrupt crypto exchange FTX.
"I asked friends of mine who were well versed in this stuff, should I do this ad? Is there anything wrong with me doing this?," David told The Associated Press on Jan. 30 during the final season premiere of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," in which he stars. David is also known for his work on the show Seinfeld.
He said his friends said it was fine to do, adding it was "totally on the up and up."
"So, like an idiot I did it," David said.
The commercial, which aired in 2022, features David rejecting past inventions in history including the wheel and the lightbulb. At the end of the commercial, he rebuffs FTX.
"Hmm, I don't think so, and I'm never wrong about this stuff, never," David said in the commercial.
About a year later, FTX's former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty of defrauding customers, lenders and investors, and is awaiting sentencing. The exchange itself has since filed for bankruptcy, with no plans to start back up.
Class action lawsuit
Celebrities who promoted the exchange, including David along with Tom Brady and Steph Curry, were sued in November 2022.
The lawsuit claims the celebrities "actively participated" in the "offer and sale of unregistered securities in the form of yield-bearing accounts."
"Yeah, I'm in a class action lawsuit, which I would love to be part of because part of my salary was in crypto, so I lost a lot of money," David said to AP.
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