FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried Won't Go to Prison & Other 2023 Predictions

01/04/23 • 57 min

Visionaries: Gaming, Media and the Internet Explained

Visionaries is back! 2022 capped off as one of the biggest year's ever for gaming entertainment, but for esports, the year was less than kind. What will happen in 2023? Award-winning investigative journalist Jacob Wolf and producer Prem Thottumkara sit down to dole out their big predictions for 2023. After allegedly stealing millions of dollars in customer funds, will 30-year-old notorious crypto count Sam Bankman-Fried actually see prison time? Will FaZe Clan, amid financial uncertainty, make it until the end of the year without additional financing? All this and more in Visionaries 2023 prediction episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Why the General Manager of Esports' Most Valuable Team Left to Start a Consulting Firm

Parth Naidu is the former general manager of esports organization TSM, which Forbes estimated in May is worth $540 million. After nearly a decade with the team, Parth decided to move on last fall and now, he's launched a consulting firm, Sido, focusing on tackling some of esports' most challenging issues. You can follow Parth here and Sido here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Next Episode

Embattled Panda CEO Alan Bunney Faults Nintendo for 'Super Smash Bros.' Cancellations

In November, the community-organized 'Super Smash Bros.' esports circuit Smash World Tour canceled its finale event just two weeks before its kickoff date, citing legal concerns stemming from conversations with the game's publisher Nintendo. But the organizers behind the event also made another accusation: the CEO of their biggest competitor, Panda's Alan Bunney, had threatened 'Melee' and 'Ultimate' grassroots organizers on behalf of Nintendo, who his organization partnered with in 2022. In an intense set of events, Bunney resigned in fear in December and issued a statement scolding the Smash World Tour organizers and tournament broadcaster Beyond the Summit. Now, he joins Jacob for his first-ever interview in the wake of the scandal. "The shadow of Nintendo behind us made [our competitors feel threatened.] You have to keep in mind I was working towards phasing myself out. The only thing connecting any distrust people had was me." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices