560. Is This “the Worst Job in Corporate America” — or Maybe the Best?

John Ray is an emergency C.E.O., a bankruptcy expert who takes over companies that have succumbed to failure or fraud. He’s currently cleaning up the mess left by alleged crypto scammer Sam Bankman-Fried. And he loves it.

RESOURCES:

• "United States of America v. Samuel Bankman-Fried, a/k/a 'SBF,'" by the United States District Court Southern District of New York (2023).
• "Does FTX’s New CEO Have the Worst Job in Corporate America?" by Ben Cohen (The Wall Street Journal, 2022).
• "John J. Ray III, a St. Joseph’s Grad From Pittsfield, Is Earning $1,300 an Hour to Sort Out the Remains of the FTX Cryptocurrency Collapse," by Larry Parnass (The Berkshire Eagle, 2022).
• "'Pit Bull' Fights to Pick Up Enron's Pieces," by Ameet Sachdev (Chicago Tribune, 2007).

EXTRAS:

• “The Secret Life of a C.E.O.,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2018-2023).
• "Did Michael Lewis Just Get Lucky with Moneyball?" by Freakonomics Radio (2022).
• "Does the Crypto Crash Mean the Blockchain Is Over?" by Freakonomics Radio (2022).
• "What Can Blockchain Do for You?" series by Freakonomics Radio (2022).

SOURCES:

• John Ray, C.E.O. of FTX.