Written by: 1912212.eth, Foresight News
If you're a billionaire in the cryptocurrency world, talking grandly about the future of Bitcoin on Twitter by day, but secretly looping Coldplay's sad love songs or obsessing over Broadway musicals by night. Isn't that dramatic? But it's happening for real.
According to Decrypt, on July 31, the website panamaplaylists.com exposed the Spotify accounts of 49 celebrities, politicians, and journalists, including political figures like US Vice President JD Vance, as well as tech leaders like Sam Altman and a16z's founding partners, as well as several big shots in the crypto field, like SBF and Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong.
After the website's exposure, the internet exploded. This is not just a data leak; it's a magnifying glass into the private lives of these 'digital cowboys.' The site calls itself 'Panama Playlists,' clearly inspired by the famous 'Panama Papers'—which exposed the offshore accounts of global billionaires. This time, it targets Spotify's 'hidden tastes.'
The website operates anonymously, only linking to a Proton Mail email, without a hacker declaration or boasting about technology. The founder claims all data comes from public sources, but many suspect data scraping or a small-scale leak. Spotify's privacy settings are already loose; if users register with their real names, playlists can easily be uncovered.
As a result, the 'private playlists' of crypto moguls were publicized. From Sam Bankman-Fried's emo vibe to Brian Armstrong's motivational tracks, these playlists not only reveal their musical tastes but also subtly outline their inner worlds. After all, in the ups and downs of the crypto market, who doesn't need some music for healing?
SBF's emo vibe
The first protagonist of the incident, FTX founder SBF, is currently serving a 25-year sentence in prison for fraud. His Spotify playlist is divided into 'loud' and 'soft' categories.
The 'soft' playlist is a collection of sad songs: Coldplay's (Yellow) sings of the romance between stars and skin, Plain White T's (Hey There Delilah) tells the sweetness of long-distance love, and Frank Ocean's (Bad Religion) carries deep self-reflection. There's also Bon Iver's (Blindsided), the nostalgic pop-punk of Blink-182, and The Chainsmokers' electronic dance music. Doesn't it sound like a down-and-out billionaire reflecting on life on a Caribbean island?
Switching to the 'loud' playlist, The Weeknd's (Save Your Tears) calls for reclaiming tears, Khalid's (Young Dumb & Broke) and Sia's (Unstoppable) feel like self-encouragement.
After SBF's playlist was exposed, memes flooded the internet: some photoshopped him rocking out in prison with headphones, while others said 'this playlist is more emo than his FTX collapse.'
Brian's motivational chicken soup style
Brian Armstrong, head of the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, has a playlist that resembles a collection of motivational chicken soup. In the 'Repeat' list, a Gareth Emery song (Long Way Home) has been played 60 times.
This song talks about a long journey home, paired with electronic rhythms, perhaps it's the perfect BGM for a crypto bear market. Imagine Armstrong, wearing AirPods, repeatedly playing this song during market crashes, muttering to himself: 'The long road ahead, persistence is victory.'
In response to the leakage of his 'repeat' playlist, he tweeted: 'It (repeating this song) helps me focus deeply on my work, don't ask me why.'
Commenters pointed out that there is clearly a repeat button, making it unnecessary to create a playlist containing 60 identical songs.
His 'Morning' playlist seems sunny: (Two Suns In The Sky) by Davi, Whitney Houston's (Greatest Love of All), and Pryda's (SOL). These songs might motivate him to face regulatory pressure like morning coffee. The 'favs' playlist is even more interesting: the Broadway musical (Hamilton)'s (Wait For It), and Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's (Shallow).
Don't forget Chamath Palihapitiya, the host of the All-In podcast and an active figure in the crypto investment space. His 'work!' playlist is clearly the product of a workaholic: Drake's (0 To 100 / The Catch Up)—a rap about going from zero to hero, perfectly fitting his entrepreneurial story. Sia's (Cheap Thrills) brings cheap thrills, Young Money and Drake's (Trophies) celebrates victory, and Imagine Dragons' (Believer) feels like a declaration of faith.
Chamath's playlist reveals a Silicon Valley-style ambition: high-energy music needed to push through work. These songs are not just background noise; they are his 'productivity hacks'. Interestingly, he is also involved in crypto investment, like supporting Solana, which led to joking after the playlist exposure: 'His 'work!' playlist should include a Solana theme song—(Crash and Burn).'
Another is Ben Horowitz from Andreessen Horowitz, this venture capital mogul has invested a lot in the crypto field. His 'Good times' playlist is a paradise of R&B and soul: The Isley Brothers' (Between the Sheets), Anita Baker's (Sweet Love), Marvin Gaye's (Let's Get It On), Babyface's (Whip Appeal (12-inch Version)), and Smokey Robinson's (Quiet Storm). These songs are full of romance and relaxation, like the soundtrack for a weekend party.
Horowitz's playlist reminds one of his famous book (The Hard Thing About Hard Things), but musically, he clearly prefers the softer side.
Spotify playlist settings need to be manually hidden
The encryption moguls are not robots; they also have heartbeats and melodies.
The leak of this playlist sparked discussions about privacy. Spotify's settings allow users to share playlists publicly, but many celebrities registered with their real names, not expecting to be exposed. Some reports pointed out that this is Spotify's privacy setting's fault: if users do not manually hide, the playlists are publicly visible.
These moguls' preferences are not much different from ordinary people. The crypto world is often portrayed as a cold digital game, but the playlists show they also have a vulnerable side. SBF's sad songs might reflect the regret after the FTX collapse, while Armstrong's motivational songs might embody his resilience.
Of course, this also sounds an alarm. Privacy is becoming increasingly fragile in the digital age. Even crypto experts haven't managed to protect their Spotify. In the short term, this incident feels more like a tabloid story: who knows whose Netflix viewing history will be leaked next?