Original author: 1912212.eth, Foresight News

If you're a cryptocurrency billionaire, you might spend your days tweeting about the future of Bitcoin, but at night you're secretly looping Coldplay's melodramatic songs or obsessing over Broadway musicals. It sounds dramatic, doesn't it? But it's actually happening.

According to Decrypt, on July 31, the website panamaplaylists.com went online and exposed the Spotify accounts of 49 celebrities, politicians and journalists. Among them were politicians such as US Vice President JD Vance, as well as top tech figures Sam Altman and two rumored founding partners of a16z, as well as several big names in the encryption field, such as SBF and Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong.

The website went viral immediately after its release. It wasn't just a data leak; it was a magnifying glass into the private lives of these "digital nomads." Calling itself the "Panama Playlist," the site was clearly inspired by the infamous "Panama Papers"—the leaks revealing the offshore accounts of the world's wealthy. This time, it targeted Spotify's "hidden tastes."

The site operates anonymously, linked only to a Proton Mail account. It doesn't have a hacker manifesto or boast about its technology. The founders claim all data comes from public sources, but many suspect data scraping or a small-scale leak. Spotify's privacy settings are already lax, making it easy for users to dig up their playlists if they register with their real names.

As a result, the private playlists of crypto moguls have been revealed. From the emo whims of Sam Bankman-Fried to the inspirational tracks of Brian Armstrong, these playlists reveal not only their musical tastes but also offer a glimpse into their inner lives. After all, amidst the ups and downs of the crypto market, who doesn't need some soothing music?

SBF's emo style

The first person involved in the incident was SBF, the founder of FTX. He is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for fraud. His Spotify playlists were divided into two categories: "loud" and "soft."

The "soft" list is a collection of heartbreak songs: Coldplay's "Yellow" sings of the romance of stars and skin, Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah" explores the sweetness of long-distance relationships, and Frank Ocean's "Bad Religion" offers a poignant moment of self-reflection. Then there's Bon Iver's "Blindsided," Blink-182's pop-punk nostalgia, and The Chainsmokers' electronic dance music. Doesn't it sound like a down-and-out rich man reflecting on life on a Caribbean island?

Switching to the "loud" list, The Weeknd's "Save Your Tears" calls for saving tears, Khalid's "Young Dumb & Broke" and Sia's "Unstoppable" seem to be cheering yourself up.

After SBF’s playlist was exposed, memes instantly emerged online: someone photoshopped him wearing headphones and rocking in prison, and someone else said, "This playlist is more emo than his FTX crash."

Brian's inspirational chicken soup style

Brian Armstrong, the head of the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has a playlist that's more like a collection of inspirational songs. He's listened to Gareth Emery's "Long Way Home" 60 times on his "Repeat" playlist.

This song, about the long journey home, paired with an electronic beat, might be the perfect background music for a crypto bear market. Imagine Armstrong, wearing AirPods and playing this song on repeat, muttering to himself during a market crash: "It's a long road, but perseverance is the key to success."

In response to the leak of his "looping" playlist, he tweeted: "It (playing this song on repeat) helps me do deep focus work, don't ask me why."

In the comments section, a user pointed out that there is a repeat play button, so there is no need to create a playlist containing 60 identical songs.

His "Morning" list is more sunny: "Two Suns In The Sky" by Davi, Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All," and Pryda's "SOL." These songs might be like morning coffee, inspiring him to face regulatory pressure. His "favs" list is more interesting: "Wait For It" from the Broadway musical "Hamilton" and "Shallow" by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

Don't forget Chamath Palihapitiya, host of the "All-In" podcast and a prominent figure in the crypto investment community. His "work!" playlist is the product of a workaholic: Drake's "0 To 100 / The Catch Up"—a zero-to-hero rap—perfectly aligns with his entrepreneurial story. Sia's "Cheap Thrills" offers cheap thrills, Young Money and Drake's "Trophies" celebrate victory, and Imagine Dragons' "Believer" feels like a statement of faith.

Chamath's playlist reveals a Silicon Valley-style ambition: he needs high-energy music to fuel his work. These songs aren't just background music; they serve as his productivity hacks. Interestingly, he's also dabbling in crypto investments, including supporting Solana. When his playlist was revealed, some people joked, "He should add the Solana theme song, "Crash and Burn," to his 'work!' playlist."

Another is Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital giant with significant investments in the crypto space. His "Good Times" playlist is a haven for R&B and soul: "Between the Sheets" by The Isley Brothers, "Sweet Love" by Anita Baker, "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye, "Whip Appeal (12-inch Version)" by Babyface, and "Quiet Storm" by Smokey Robinson. These songs are filled with romance and a relaxing vibe, like the soundtrack to a weekend party.

Horowitz's setlist evokes his famous book, "The Hard Thing About Hard Things," but musically he clearly prefers a softer sensibility.

Spotify list settings need to be manually hidden

Crypto tycoons are not robots, they also have heartbeats and melodies.

This leaked playlist has sparked a debate about privacy. Spotify's settings allow users to share playlists publicly, but many celebrities registered their playlists using their real names, leaving them exposed. Some reports suggest that this is due to Spotify's privacy settings: unless users manually hide their playlists, they remain publicly visible.

The preferences of these tycoons aren't all that different from those of ordinary people. The crypto world is often portrayed as a cold, numbers-based game, but their playlists reveal a vulnerable side. SBF's heartbreaking songs might reflect the regret he felt after the FTX crash, while Armstrong's inspirational songs might reflect his resilience.

Of course, this also serves as a wake-up call. Privacy is increasingly fragile in the digital age. Even encryption experts couldn't protect Spotify. In the short term, this incident will be more like entertainment gossip: Who knows whose Netflix viewing history will be leaked next?

References:

1. https://decrypt.co/333124/sbf-loves-coldplay-crypto-and-ai-leaders-spotify-playlists-leaked

2. https://panamaplaylists.com/

3. https://x.com/brian_armstrong/status/1951063905448632382

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