FACT CHECK: Did The New York Times Publish This Headline About Former FTX CEO ‘Accidentally’ Eating 3,000 Shrimp?

A photo shared on Facebook allegedly shows a New York Times headline claiming former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried “accidentally” ate 3,000 shrimp.

Verdict: False

This image is digitally fabricated. A spokesperson for The New York Times confirmed in an email to Check Your Fact that the image does not feature a genuine article.

Fact Check:

FTX, formerly the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange, filed for bankruptcy in November, according to AP News. Bankman-Fried is reportedly facing a market manipulation investigation centering around his hedge fund’s actions that led to two cryptocurrencies collapsing in May 2022, The New York Times reported.

The Facebook post allegedly shows a screengrab of an article from The New York Times claiming Bankman-Fried “accidentally” ate as many as 3,000 shrimp. The post does not have any official attribution for authorship or posting date.

“Bankman-Fried ‘May Not Have Been’ Vegan for at Least Last 17 Months,” the purported headline reads. “Emails and text messages reveal the 30-year-old entrepreneur may have ‘accidentally’ eaten as many as 3,000 shrimp in a ‘menu mix-up’ blamed on ‘outside food procurement issues,” the article’s sub headline continues.

This image is photoshopped, however. The alleged article cannot be found on any of The New York Times’ verified social media accounts. Likewise, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to suggest such an incident occurred. (RELATED:  Viral Post Makes False Claims About Ukraine And FTX)

A spokesperson for The New York Times confirmed this was not an authentic New York Times article in an email. “This text was not written or published by The New York Times,” the spokesperson wrote.

 Several false claims about FTX have circulated online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim FTX sponsored a study on Ivermectin.