Member-only story
Before They Get Your Money, They Borrow Your Trust
The celebrity gets a business deal. You get an invitation to take a risk.
I keep hearing Kalshi advertisements.
On the radio. Online. Familiar faces introducing another place where people can put money behind what they think will happen next.
And I keep coming back to one question:
Why does a company asking for my money need someone I recognize to make me comfortable giving it?
We’ve seen this before.
Matt Damon appeared for Crypto.com. Tom Brady became an ambassador for FTX. Sports, entertainment, and financial speculation moved into the same frame until opening an account started to feel like joining the culture.
Now prediction markets are assembling their own celebrity rosters.
The products differ. The companies differ. But I recognize the invitation.
You know this person.
You admire this person.
Come a little closer.
Familiarity arrives before understanding
In October 2021, Crypto.com launched its global campaign featuring Matt Damon and “Fortune Favours the Brave.” The company…
