Taylor Swift Approved Sponsorship Deal With FTX, Despite Previous Reports: NYT

Swift signed the sponsorship agreement worth as much as $100 million following more than six months of discussions.

AccessTimeIconJul 6, 2023 at 3:43 p.m. UTC
Updated Jul 7, 2023 at 6:46 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Music megastar Taylor Swift approved a sponsorship deal with the now bankrupt crypto exchange FTX last year, despite previous reports that she had walked away after conducting her own due diligence on the firm, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

In the spring of 2022, the pop star discussed a deal with FTX worth as much as $100 million that potentially included sponsorship of a tour.

Swift signed the sponsorship agreement with FTX following more than six months of discussions but in the end, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried pulled out of the deal, according to the New York Times, citing three people with knowledge of the matter. The decision left Swift's team frustrated and disappointed, according to two of the people.

A lawyer suing celebrities who had endorsed FTX had previously said on a podcast that Swift had done due diligence the crypto exchange, asking it to prove that its cryptocurrencies were not unregistered securities, which led her to reject the deal. This led to multiple stories praising Swift’s business intelligence.

Taylor Swift's management did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.

News that FTX had pulled out of the deal was also reported by CNBC, quoting a source familiar with the matter.

Edited by Nelson Wang.



Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Jamie Crawley

Jamie Crawley is a CoinDesk news reporter based in London.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.