Effective Altruism Committed the Sin It Was Supposed to Correct
The spectacular collapse of the cryptocurrency trading firm FTX has raised a number of urgent questions. Why did the founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, get such fawning media coverage? Will his customers get their crypto back? Oh, and should wealthy philanthropists in the United States spend their money on buildings at their alma mater, mosquito nets halfway around the world, or the prevention of global catastrophes in the distant future?
[Annie Lowrey: The crypto meltdown could have been so much worse]
That last question is relevant because Bankman-Fried was one of the biggest financial supporters and media promoters of , in , “a research field and practical community that aims to find the best ways to help others, and put them into practice.” EA involves studying various charitable endeavors, figuring out which ones do the most good, and directing.
