Definition: Larry David is a comedian, actor, and co-creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm who appeared in FTX’s 2022 Super Bowl commercial as a historical skeptic — rejecting the wheel, the fork, and FTX — and was subsequently named in investor class action lawsuits after FTX’s collapse made his “No, I don’t think so” a deeply ironic cultural meme.
FTX Commercial (Super Bowl LVI, February 2022)
The Ad
- In ancient times, he rejects the wheel: “No, I don’t think so.”
- In medieval times, he rejects the fork: “I don’t think so.”
- In 1776, he rejects the Declaration of Independence: “No.”
- He dismisses the lightbulb, the walkman, the coffee maker, and other world-changing inventions
- In the “present,” he is offered FTX by a young, friendly investor: “Easy. No fees. And you can buy and sell crypto easily.” David considers it, then: “Eh, I don’t think so.”
The closing title card: “Don’t be like Larry. FTX is the safe and easy way to get into crypto.”
Why It Became Famous
- November 2022: FTX collapsed in one of the largest financial frauds in history. Customer funds had been misused by Alameda Research, SBF’s trading firm, for risky bets.
- The ad’s tagline — “FTX is safe” — and David’s “No, I don’t think so” became retroactively read as extraordinarily ironic. Larry David’s curmudgeon character turned out to be right: FTX was not, in fact, safe.
- The ad is now one of the most cited examples of how celebrity credibility was leveraged in one of crypto’s largest frauds.
Class Action Lawsuit
Timeline
- Feb 2022 — FTX “Don’t Be Like Larry” Super Bowl ad airs.
- Feb 2022 — FTX valued at $32B; commercial widely praised as clever advertising.
- Nov 2022 — FTX declares bankruptcy; fraud revealed.
- Nov 2022 — The ad begins circulating heavily as an ironic meme; “Don’t be like Larry” flips meaning.
- Late 2022 — David named in class action lawsuit.
- 2023–2025 — Lawsuit ongoing; settlement discussions reportedly underway for some celebrity defendants.
Controversies
- “Safe” implication — FTX marketing explicitly called the exchange “safe,” which became legally salient after the fraud.
- Sophistication asymmetry — Critics noted David’s usual persona as an irascible, contrarian everyman was appropriated to make skeptics of crypto feel they were missing out — a manipulation of his cultural brand.
- Retroactive irony — The ad’s meme life post-collapse has arguably made FTX more famous in cultural memory than it would have been, creating a cautionary tale whose entertainment value contradicts the lesson.
Social Media Sentiment
The FTX Larry David ad is one of the most meme-able moments in crypto advertising history. Response ranges from dark humor (“Larry was right”) to genuine consumer protection concern. Sports fans and mainstream audiences who lost money in FTX express bitter irony about the commercial. David himself has declined to extensively comment publicly.
Related Terms
Last updated: 2026-04