Ending Soon! Save 33% on All Access

Kevin O'Leary Opens Up on Losses Incurred in the FTX Deal The investor stated he was drawn to FTX's compliance systems which led him to invest in the crypto exchange

By Saptak Bardhan

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Wikimedia Commons

Investor and Shark Tank Judge Kevin O'Leary on Thursday said that he has lost $15 million FTX paid him to act as a spokesperson for the now bankrupt crypto exchange. Some people have called FTX fraudulent.

Celebrities like Tom Brady, Shaquille O'Neal and Larry David were sued by FTX investors. According to the FTX investors, the exchange's ambassadors should have done more due diligence and exercised extra caution before promoting the crypto exchange. He stated that he feel prey to groupthink. However, none of O'Leary's partners lost money.

"It was not a good investment," O'Leary said. "Total deal was just under $15 million, all in. I put about $9.7 million into crypto. I think that's what I lost. I don't know. It's all at zero."

The investor stated he was drawn to FTX's compliance systems which led him to invest in the crypto exchange. He aggressively promoted the crypto firm on Twitter and online. Since the collapse of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried has resigned as well as facing multiple investigations and the company is battling bankruptcy claims in the courts.

According to O'Leary, he had more than $1 million of FTX equity which has since been rendered worthless due to the bankruptcy case.

Saptak Bardhan

Former Trainee Writer

Former Trainee Writer
Business News

Elvis Presley's Granddaughter Fights Graceland Foreclosure, Calls Paperwork 'Forgeries'

The 13.8-acre estate was scheduled to be sold in a public foreclosure auction on Thursday. Presley's granddaughter and heir, Riley Keough, is fighting to save Graceland in court.

Business News

Target Is Lowering Prices on Thousands of Items — Here's Where You Can Expect to Save

The news was announced ahead of Target's Q1 2024 earnings call, expected to occur Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST.

Business News

Now that OpenAI's Superalignment Team Has Been Disbanded, Who's Preventing AI from Going Rogue?

We spoke to an AI expert who says safety and innovation are not separate things that must be balanced; they go hand in hand.

Franchise

Know The Franchise Ownership Costs Before You Leap

From initial investments to royalty fees to legal costs, take stock of these numbers before it's too late.

Cryptocurrency / Blockchain

The 50 Richest People in Crypto

The richest cryptocurrency holders.

Business News

Scarlett Johansson 'Shocked' That OpenAI Used a Voice 'So Eerily Similar' to Hers After Already Telling the Company 'No'

Johansson asked OpenAI how they created the AI voice that her "closest friends and news outlets could not tell the difference."