Would you be surprised to find out that one of the leading investigators into the cryptocurrency industry is… a former teen heartthrob from the early 2000s TV series ‘The O.C.’?
Ben McKenzie became famous for playing bad boy Ryan Atwood in the hit 2003 drama, but he may end up being remembered for his work investigating and speaking out against the opaque crypto industry.
Ben is the writer, director, and star of the new documentary, ‘Everyone Is Lying To You For Money’, which documents his years-long look into the scammy, fraudulent, and oftentimes criminal world of cryptocurrency. He met up with Mehdi in Washington D.C. to talk about his new film:
“What drove you to have so much interest in this one particular issue?” Mehdi asks.
“I think I was raised with a sense of social justice. I was raised with an ethos of what you do for your community and for the rest of society is as important, if not more important, than what you do for yourself,” Ben says.
Mehdi and Ben unpack the film’s globetrotting story — from Miami, to El Salvador, to London — as Ben follows the (figurative) money. Ben explains what exactly cryptocurrency is and uncovers why its evangelists want you to buy it so badly.
They also dig into the crypto industry’s influence on both the Republican and Democratic parties, why the Trump family is the perfect avatar for crypto fraudsters, and Ben’s now famous interview with former FTX crypto exchange founder — and current federal prisoner — Sam Bankman-Fried.
“I’m watching this and I’m like, ‘Why the fuck is the guy from ‘The O.C.’ doing a tougher interview on Sam Bankman-Fried than the people at CNBC, FOX Business, Bloomberg?” Mehdi says.
“Yes! What is going on?! Me? You need me to do it?” an incredulous and impassioned Ben responds.
In a must-watch, wide-ranging conversation, the two also discuss:
How ‘The O.C.’ introduced an entire generation to class politics.
Why Ben is supporting Brad Lander for Congress over Dan Goldman.
If taking corporate PAC money should be a litmus test for Democrats.
The similarities between AIPAC and crypto ads.
And which Democrats have an actual shot at the presidency in 2028…
If you enjoy 2000s pop culture, gumshoe investigations, and calling out corporate Democrats — this is the podcast for you.
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