"Michael Lewis, the charismatic and quotable author behind The Big Short and Moneyball, to name just a few of his bestselling non-fiction works, has a new book deal in the works-but this one comes with a sci-fi twist. Speaking at a live recording of SoFi's The Important Part podcast in New York City, Lewis revealed that he has a verbal agreement with Sam Altman to write a biography of the OpenAI leader, but only when ChatGPT is capable of writing a competing draft. The anecdote has been partially told before, but never at this level of detail, with the prospect of the legendary writer making Sam Altman the latest member of his cast of protagonists."
"As The New York Times wrote in its review of Going Infinite, Lewis' book about disgraced crypto founder Sam Bankman-Fried, the writer always "makes sure to give you an unsung hero to root for." Hollywood has often found this a winning recipe for film adaptation. The renegade baseball general manager in Moneyball, for instance, was later played by Brad Pitt, while the character in The Big Short was played by Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, and Pitt again, among others. "Even Lewis's first book, Liar's Poker, which recounts all kinds of bad behavior on Wall Street, is structured around a young man named Michael Lewis," the Times notes, with that underdog hero leaving the "absurd money game" of finance to become a journalist and celebrated author."
"Altman, the influential and controversial Silicon Valley billionaire, transformed the economy by releasing ChatGPT and unleashing the AI revolution in November 2022. Within just a few months, he was fired by his board of directors for losing trust in them, before rejoining over the course of one dramatic weekend. Along the way, he was sued by his former co-founder Elon Musk and became a lightning rod executive for the hypes and fears of the AI story. He could be a perfect Michael Lewis character, and Lewis recounted to The Important Part how"
Michael Lewis has a verbal agreement to write a biography of Sam Altman contingent on ChatGPT producing a competing draft. Lewis's books often center on underdog protagonists who become subjects of film adaptations and public attention. Past subjects include the Moneyball general manager and the finance figures of The Big Short; Liar's Poker centered on a young Michael Lewis leaving finance to become a journalist and celebrated public figure. Sam Altman released ChatGPT in November 2022, was briefly fired then reinstated by OpenAI's board, faced a lawsuit from Elon Musk, and became a polarizing figure of the AI era.
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