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Sam Bankman-Fried has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan sentenced Bankman-Fried Thursday to 25 years in prison. In his sentencing, Kaplan described Bankman-Fried as ambitious and deceitful, willing to gamble with his customers' livelihoods. He knew it was criminal," Kaplan said as Bankman-Fried slumped in his chair. AdvertisementNow that Bankman-Fried's sentencing is over, Kaplan, the judge, will likely swiftly order sentencing hearings for Ellison, Wang, and Singh.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, —, Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, Kaplan, Prosecutors, Bernie Madoff, Marc Mukasey, Mukasey, perjured, it's, FTX, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh —, Ellison, Wang, Singh, Ryan Salame, I've, didn't, John J, Ray III, Ray, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried Organizations: Service, Justice Department, FTX, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Detention, Federal Bureau of Prisons Locations: Manhattan, FTX, Bahamas, Washington , DC, Brooklyn's, San Francisco

☆ How Sam Bankman-Fried's ex-girlfriend and early recruit helped put the FTX founder behind bars for 25 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Yuki Iwamura | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIn sentencing FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to a 25-year prison sentence on Thursday, Judge Lewis Kaplan cited testimony from Caroline Ellison, an ex-girlfriend of the defendant and early recruit into his crypto enterprise. In a Google document from February 2022 shared with the Times, Ellison wrote, "I have been feeling pretty unhappy and overwhelmed with my job. The government presented a series of Signal exchanges involving Bankman-Fried, Ellison, Wang and other top execs. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Prosecutors relied heavily on text messages sent among FTX and Alameda Research executives in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Prosecutors relied heavily on text messages sent among FTX and Alameda Research executives in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried.

Persons: Caroline Ellison, Yuki Iwamura, FTX, Sam Bankman, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Ellison, FTX spiraled, Damian Williams, she's, Fried, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Jane Rosenberg, SBF Ellison, She'd, Michael Lewis, Caroline, Sam, Lewis, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, Attorney Thane Rehn, Bankman, Binance, Sam Trabucco, Danielle Sassoon, Wang, SDNY Ellison, Um Organizations: Alameda Research, Bloomberg, Getty, Department of Justice, Manhattan U.S, U.S, District, Federal Court, Reuters, Jane, Stanford, Alameda, The New York Times, Times, Attorney, Google, Alameda's Locations: New York, Manhattan, FTX, New York City, Fried, California, Hong Kong, Bahamas, Alameda

☆ Penthouse to prison: Sam Bankman-Fried's journey from crypto king to convicted conman
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of failed crypto exchange FTX, will head on Thursday to a federal court in downtown Manhattan, where U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan will deliver his sentencing. After a month of personally dabbling in the market, Bankman-Fried launched Alameda Research, named after the California county that housed his first office. The so-called crypto winter of 2022 wiped out hedge funds and lenders across the crypto universe. May of 2022 brought the crash of stablecoin Luna, creating a domino effect that sent crypto prices plunging, devastating other lenders. On Nov. 2, 2022, crypto trade site CoinDesk publicized details of Alameda's balance sheet, which showed $14.6 billion in assets.

Persons: Samuel Bankman, MacKenzie Sigalos, Sam Bankman, Fried, Damian Williams, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, they'd, FTX, Amr Alfiky, Jane Street, Goldman Sachs, stablecoin Luna, Solana, Changpeng Zhao, Binance, Zhao, Jane Rosenberg, he'd, Cromwell, John J, Ray, confidants, — CNBC's Rohan Goswami Organizations: CNBC, Metropolitan Detention, U.S, District, Prosecutors, Reuters, Jane, Alameda Research, Formula, Democratic, Voyager, Alameda, FTX, Industry, Investors, Enron, Securities and Exchange Commission, Stanford University Locations: San Francisco, he's, Brooklyn, Manhattan, U.S, New York City, South Korea, Alameda, California, Miami, Washington, Solana, FTX, New York, Palo Alto , California

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried faces over 100 years in prison at sentencing. Experts weigh in on how much time he'll actually get
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A jury of twelve found FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried guilty of all seven criminal charges brought against him. The question of how long he'll remain in prison, however, is one that Judge Lewis Kaplan will spend the next few months deliberating by himself. "So I should preface this by saying I'm not a lawyer," Bankman-Fried began one answer. After several dozen of these instances, the government often presented evidence that would either directly refute the defendant's testimony or offer an answer to the question Bankman-Fried had dodged. So now, the question of prison time goes to Judge Kaplan.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Judge Kaplan, I'm, Fried, FTX, Danielle Sassoon, wasn't Organizations: Southern, of, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CNBC Locations: of New York, Manhattan, Alameda, FTX

☆ Jurors are deliberating on Sam Bankman-Fried's fate. Here's what they'd have to agree on to convict the FTX founder.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Prosecutors charged him with money laundering and conspiring to defraud FTX and Alameda customers, investors, and lenders. Here's a breakdown of the seven charges jurors are considering. AdvertisementAdvertisementProsecutors allege he stole money from customers of FTX, the exchange, and used the funds for trades, investments, and property purchases through Alameda Research. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn addition to the criminal counts in this trial, Bankman-Fried faces another set of charges related to allegedly illegal campaign contributions. AdvertisementAdvertisementBeyond the criminal charges, Bankman-Fried has a slew of other legal problems, including negotiations over FTX's bankruptcy and civil lawsuits from regulators and investors who claim they were defrauded.

Persons: Sam Bankman, FTX, —, Fried, Lewis Kaplan, — Prosecutors, Caroline Ellison, it's, Kaplan, he's Organizations: Prosecutors, Service, Alameda Research, Bowl, — Locations: Alameda, Manhattan, Bahamas, FTX

After Kaplan left the courtroom, Cohen put his arm around Bankman-Fried as they spoke at the defense table. He testified that while he made mistakes running FTX, such as not formulating a risk-management team, he did not steal customer funds. "We thought that we might be able to build the best product on the market," Bankman-Fried testified. The defense argued the three, who have not yet been sentenced, falsely implicated Bankman-Fried in a bid to win leniency at sentencing. Bankman-Fried has been jailed since August after Kaplan revoked his bail, having concluded he likely tampered with witnesses.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bankman, FTX, Damian Williams, Williams, Bernie Madoff, Jordan Belfort, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Mark Cohen, Kaplan, Cohen, nodded, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Fried's, Danielle Sassoon, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Luc Cohen, Jody Godoy, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S . Justice, U.S, District, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Marshals, Stanford Law, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Former Alameda, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Bankman, New York City, U.S, FTX, Alameda, New York, Lincoln

☆ Here are the emails, texts and photos that could put Sam Bankman-Fried in prison for life
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

Lawyers for the U.S. Attorney's office entered into evidence a series of photos featuring the $35 million penthouse where Sam Bankman-Fried and his fellow co-workers resided. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. Source: SDNYZoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. Source: SDNYZoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, FTX, Renato Mariotti, Bryan Cave Leighton, Caroline Ellison, —, Alameda —, Ryan Pinder, Rob Creamer, didn't, Ellison, he'd, HOOD, they'll, FTX's, Sun, Bankman, Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, Giselle Bundchen, Larry David, Nishad Singh, Michael Kives, Bryan Baum, Hillary Clinton, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kris, Kylie Jenner, SDNY Singh, Baum, Drappi, Jane Rosenberg, Joe Bankman, Ramnik Arora, Ryne Miller, Constance Wang, Ryan Salame, Changpeng Zhao, Michael Lewis, Singh, Lewis Organizations: U.S . Justice Department's Securities, Commodities, Lawyers, U.S, Alameda Research, Alameda, Geneva Trading, FIA, Traders Group, Wall Street Journal, Google, shuttering, Prosecutors, NBA, Major League Baseball, K5, Federal Court Locations: Chicago, Bahamas, Bankman, Alameda, FTX, shuttering Alameda, Hong Kong, New York City, U.S, Sequoia, Alameda's

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried built crypto empire on 'pyramid of deceit,' prosecutors say in closing
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves Manhattan Federal Court after a court appearance on June 15, 2023 in New York City. The main thing the jury has to decide, Roos said, is whether Bankman-Fried knew that taking the money was wrong. "It was uncomfortable to hear," Roos said, adding that Bankman-Fried said "I can't recall" over 140 times during questioning by the government. Roos said Bankman-Fried is the one who gave special privileges to Alameda, which he started before founding FTX, allowing it to siphon customer money. In referencing the Super Bowl picture with Katy Perry and others, Roos called Bankman-Fried a "celebrity chaser."

Persons: Sam Bankman, Michael M, they've, FTX, Nicolas Roos, Roos, there's, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Bankman, Gary Wang, Danielle Sassoon, Jane Rosenberg, Mark Cohen, he'd, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Ellison, didn't, Singh, Katy Perry, —, Dawn Giel Organizations: Santiago, Getty, Prosecutors, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Alameda Research, Reuters, Miami Heat, MIT, FTX, Skybridge Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Alameda, U.S, California, Hong Kong, Roos's, Bahamas, Bankman

REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW YORK, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial is in the homestretch, with U.S. prosecutors and defense lawyers expected on Wednesday to present closing arguments to jurors over whether the FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder stole billions of dollars from customers. Prosecutors have accused him of stealing $8 billion in one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history. During his second day of testimony on Monday - when the prosecution began its cross-examination - Bankman-Fried said "I don't recall" at least 28 times. Closing arguments probably will take several hours, and jurors are not expected to get the case before Thursday. He has been jailed since August after Kaplan revoked his bail, having concluded that he likely tampered with witnesses.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Danielle Sassoon, Jane Rosenberg, FTX, Mark Cohen, Sassoon, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, District, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Alameda, FTX, New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried lied under oath to shape his story around ex-friends who testified against him, prosecutors say in scathing closing argument
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Prosecutors say Sam Bankman-Fried lied under oath on the witness stand. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn closing arguments for Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial Wednesday, prosecutors say the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul repeatedly lied on the witness stand. Prosecutors allege Bankman-Fried defrauded millions of FTX customers by stealing their deposits and using them for Alameda. He used the money, prosecutors say, for personal investments, to repay loans, in extravagant advertising, to buy properties around the world, and for political donations. AdvertisementAdvertisementAlameda's account on FTX, Roos pointed out, did not even have the spot-margin trading option enabled.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, —, he's, Nicholas Roos, Roos, Mark Cohen, Danielle Sassoon, — Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nashad Singh —, Ryan Salame, Adam Yedidia, Sun Organizations: Service, MIT, Alameda Research, Miami Heat, Prosecutors Locations: Manhattan, Bankman, Alameda, FTX, Washington

Bankman-Fried testified that he wasn't aware of the amount Alameda was borrowing from FTX, or its theoretical max. Prosecutors entered corroborating materials, including encrypted Signal messages and other internal documents that appear to show Bankman-Fried orchestrating the spending of FTX customer money. Similarly, Bankman-Fried testified that he believed the lavish Bahamas properties were being paid for with FTX operating cash that came from revenue and venture investments. The market had already dropped 70% and if it fell another 50%, he was afraid the firm would be insolvent, Bankman-Fried told the jury. In September, he checked in again with Ellison about the hedging activity, Bankman-Fried testified.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Fatih Aktas, that's, Caroline Ellison, Mark Cohen's, Cohen, FTX, Danielle Sassoon, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Jane Rosenberg, —, Ellison, Sam, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, Prosecutors, who'd, Michael M, Bankman, wasn't, Alameda, Singh, Shorter, Dawn Giel Organizations: Federal Court, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Alameda Research, U.S, District, Reuters, Stanford University, Alameda, Facebook, Google, Santiago Locations: New York, United States, Manhattan, Bankman, Alameda, Bahamas, New York City, U.S

☆ For days Sam Bankman-Fried, the MIT grad who founded FTX, repeatedly told a jury he couldn't remember actions from his time as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It was during those hours of questioning that Bankman-Fried repeatedly said he couldn't recall specific details from his time as CEO of FTX, his now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange. Asked whether his support for regulation in the crypto industry was contingent upon protecting customers, Bankman-Fried testified Monday: "I don't recall that specifically, no." He similarly struggled to recall whether he ever mentioned to the public that while trading on FTX, Alameda didn't play by the same rules as other customers. AdvertisementAdvertisementBankman-Fried's instructions as CEO were just 'suggestions'Chelsea Jia Feng/InsiderBankman-Fried insisted on the stand that he didn't recall making various instructions to his employees, especially those like Ellison, Gary Wang, and Nishad Singh. Asked if he instructed Ellison to purchase cryptocurrencies in her capacity as co-CEO of Alameda, Bankman-Fried was vague, saying, "I don't recall an instance.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Lewis Kaplan, —, Fried, Danielle Sassoon, FTX, SBF, FTX's, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Caroline Ellison, Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, Sam Trabucco, beholden, Sassoon, Chelsea Jia Feng, Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, I'm, Jane Rosenberg, Gary, Nishad, Ryan Salame, it's, Mark Cohen, Judge Kaplan Organizations: Service, Alameda Research, Alameda, REUTERS Locations: Bankman, Manhattan, Alameda, FTX

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried defense rests in criminal trial, closing arguments kick off Wednesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves Manhattan Federal Court after a court appearance on June 15, 2023 in New York City. When he asked his deputies about the hole, Bankman-Fried testified that they "told me they were busy and I should stop asking questions because it was distracting." Bankman-Fried testified that he was growing frustrated with regulators and skeptical about what they were doing. After the mid-morning break, Cohen asked Bankman-Fried to clarify a few things. WATCH: FTX founder retakes stand

Persons: Sam Bankman, Michael M, Danielle Sassoon, Sassoon, Bankman, Philip Davis, Fried, he'd, Ryan Salame, Matias J, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Vox, hadn't, wasn't, Jane Rosenberg, —, Dawn Giel, retakes Organizations: Santiago, Getty, Alameda Research, U.S, Bahamian, Heat, Ocner, Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Reuters, Washington , D.C Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Bahamas, FTX, Miami, Miami , Florida, U.S, Alameda, Bankman, Washington ,

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried can't get past the fundamental flaw in his defense strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

He claims that Alameda Research, his crypto hedge fund, was treated the same as everyone else on FTX, his now-collapsed crypto exchange. As Sam Bankman-Fried testifies on the witness stand in his criminal case, he has struggled to get past a core, key contradiction at the heart of his legal defense. On the witness stand, Bankman-Fried suggested his crypto hedge fund was not dissimilar to Jane Street Capital, the traditional trading firm where he worked before founding Alameda. As CEO, Ellison failed to make the trades and investments he suggested to hedge in case of a crypto market downturn, Bankman-Fried testified. Bankman-Fried tried to stress that the market conditions in November 2022, when FTX and Alameda collapsed, were an anomaly.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, that's, —, FTX, Jane Street, Danielle Sassoon, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Elizabeth Williams, Crypto, Sassoon, Chelsea Jia Feng Bankman, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Wang, Singh, Fried's, Bankman Organizations: Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Service, Alameda, Jane Street Capital, U.S, AP, wasn't Locations: FTX, Alameda, Manhattan, New York, Bankman

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried blames top lieutenants for FTX troubles in second day of testimony in criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

The market had already dropped 70% and if it fell another 50%, he was afraid the firm would be insolvent, Bankman-Fried told the jury. In describing the swift downfall of FTX, Bankman-Fried said that customer withdrawals had quickly increased from $50 million a day to $1 billion a day. For example, Sassoon asked Bankman-Fried if he assured people that Alameda played by the same rules as others on the FTX exchange. Sassoon asked Bankman Fried, "Would you agree you know how to tell a good story?" Sassoon asked.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Kyle Mazza, FTX, Mark Cohen, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Singh, Sun, Jane Rosenberg, Renato Mariotti, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Mariotti, Danielle Sassoon, I'm, Sassoon, Bankman, Crypto, wasn't, Bankman Fried, Vox, he's, Alameda, —, Dawn Giel Organizations: Court, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Alameda Research, Alameda, Bloomberg, Apollo, Reuters, U.S . Justice Department's Securities, Commodities, CNBC, U.S, PR Locations: New York City, Alameda, New York, U.S, Chicago

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried said he was alarmed by Alameda's risk taking, but he doesn't show it when he's 'freaked out'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sam Bankman-Fried testified before the jury on Friday, detailing his version of events. He added that he doesn't show it when he's "freaking out," contrary to testimony by former execs. "I was very surprised and fairly concerned," Bankman-Fried testified. Developers ran the numbers and confirmed them, bringing about a "relieved" demeanor in Ellison, Singh, and Wang, Bankman-Fried testified. Singh testified that Bankman-Fried had tells, including "physical twitches for when he gets angry."

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, —, Bankman, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Wang, Singh, Ellison, Ellison didn't, Mark Cohen Organizations: Service, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, FTX, Developers, shuttering Locations: Alameda, Manhattan, FTX, shuttering Alameda, Bahamas, Washington ,

☆ Why Sam Bankman-Fried wanted to spend $10 million a year to put FTX name on sports stadium
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Prosecutors entered corroborating materials, including encrypted Signal messages and other internal documents that appear to show Bankman-Fried orchestrating the spending of FTX customer money. Similarly, Bankman-Fried testified that he believed the lavish Bahamas properties were being paid for with FTX operating cash that came from revenue and venture investments. As for the venture investments, Bankman-Fried said he thought that money was coming from Alameda's operating profits and third-party lending desks. Alameda's venture arm was renamed Clifton Bay Investments, which Bankman-Fried said was a first step in building a dedicated venture brand. When asked about loans he took from the business, Bankman-Fried said they were to pay for venture investments and political donations.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Amanda Perobelli, Fried, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Mark Cohen, Bankman, Cohen, Sam Bankman Fried, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Elizabeth Williams, Caroline Ellison, Judge Kaplan, Jane, Banks, weren't, cryptocurrencies, FTX, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, Singh, Wang, Prosecutors, Dan Friedberg, Fenwick, Marco Bello, Ryan Salame, Salame, Katy Perry, —, Dawn Giel Organizations: FTX, Reuters FTX, U.S, District, Stanford, Alameda Research, Elizabeth Williams Prosecutors, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Alameda, Fenwick & West, Reuters, NFL's New, NFL's New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Facebook, Google, Clifton Bay Investments, Republicans Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, Alameda, Bahamas, Berkeley , California, FTX, Friedberg, Miami , Florida, Miami, NFL's New Orleans, Clifton Bay, Los Angeles

"We thought that we might be able to build the best product on the market," Bankman-Fried said during his six hours of testimony in Manhattan federal court. Bankman-Fried on Friday testified that while Ellison provided him a spreadsheet she was considering sending to a lender, he did not look at it in detail. On Friday, Bankman-Fried sought to place much of the blame for Alameda's failure on Ellison. Bankman-Fried was questioned by both sides on Thursday without jurors present as the judge assessed what parts of his testimony would be admissible. Prosecutors will get their first chance to question Bankman-Fried with jurors present when they cross-examine him next week.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Mark Cohen's, Ellison, Gary Wang, Wang, Nishad Singh, FTX, Cohen, Jody Godoy, Luc Cohen, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Alameda, FTX, Thomson Locations: Alameda, Manhattan, New York

☆ Judge blasts Sam Bankman-Fried for 'interesting' answers on the witness stand to questions about using FTX customer funds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Katie Balevic | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisement"Part of the problem is that the witness has what I'll simply call an interesting way of responding to questions," Kaplan said during the hearing. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen Sassoon asked Bankman-Fried directly if he discussed spending FTX customer deposits with his lawyers, he took a long pause and looked down before he answered the question. Sassoon, questioning Bankman-Fried on the witness stand, asked Bankman-Fried to be more explicit about why he thought that explanation was acceptable. Asked directly by Sassoon if it was OK to steal customer funds, Bankman-Fried rejected that interpretation of events. Sassoon made that clear on Thursday as Kaplan asked for a broad timeline of the rest of the trial.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, —, Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Mark Cohen, Danielle Sassoon, Sassoon, Bankman, Chelsea Jia Feng, I'm, Cohen, grumbled, Barbara Fried, " Cohen Organizations: Service, Alameda Research Locations: Manhattan, FTX, Alameda

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried could take stand at fraud trial over FTX collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, arrives at court as lawyers push to persuade the judge overseeing his fraud case not to jail him ahead of trial, at a courthouse in New York, U.S., August 11, 2023. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty and maintained that while he made mistakes running FTX, he never intended to steal funds. They say Alameda looted FTX funds through special trading privileges on the exchange. Cohen said the defense plans to call three brief witnesses before Bankman-Fried takes the stand. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Fried, Mark Cohen, Bankman, Mark Troiano, Cohen, FTX, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Alameda Research, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Alameda, Manhattan

Former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried, who faces fraud charges over the collapse of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, leaves federal court in New York City, U.S., February 9, 2023. Prosecutors allege Bankman-Fried misled FTX customers about the safety of their assets before the exchange filed for bankruptcy in November 2022. Alameda had borrowed several billion dollars of FTX customer assets to repay its lenders the month before, she said. "We have a long history of safeguarding client assets and that remains true today," he said in the thread. Ellison testified at trial that by the summer of 2022, Alameda was drawing from FTX customer funds to make venture investments.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Mike Segar, Fried, Gary Wang, FTX's, FTX, Wang, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Ellison, Jody Godoy, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: FTX, REUTERS, Prosecutors, Alameda, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, New York

NEW YORK (AP) — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried plans to testify at his fraud trial, his lawyer told a federal judge on Wednesday, a day before the defense is set to counter testimony from former executives who say the cryptocurrency executive stole billions of dollars from his customers and investors over several years. Attorney Mark Cohen told Judge Lewis A. Kaplan that he planned to call three witnesses “and then our client is also going to be testifying” after prosecutors rest early Thursday. Even so, prosecutors and the judge later discussed the possibility that closing arguments could occur early next week if Bankman-Fried changes his mind and doesn't take the stand. That means only Bankman-Fried or other character witnesses can tell his side of the story, former prosecutors said. ___For more AP coverage of Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX: https://apnews.com/hub/sam-bankman-fried

Persons: — FTX, Sam Bankman, Fried, Mark Cohen, Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, “, ”, Cohen, Rachel Maimin, Lowenstein Sandler, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Joshua Naftalis, “ It’s, Mary Organizations: Alameda Research, Pallas Partners Locations: Manhattan, Palo Alto , California, Bahamas

☆ 11 of the biggest bombshells from Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX fraud trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Katie Balevic | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The stress of the scheme left a key executive 'suicidal for days'Nishad Singh testified against his former boss in court. Jane Rosenberg/ReutersNishad Singh, the head engineer at FTX, testified against Bankman-Fried and spoke to the intense pressure of the scheme. As customers began to withdraw their deposits, FTX didn't have enough liquid cash to actually give them their funds. Instead of working together to solve the issue, executives blamed each other, Singh testified. "In response, Sam said something like, 'We were bulletproof last year, but we're not bulletproof this year,'" Yedidia testified.

Persons: Sam Bankman, —, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nashad Singh, SBF, Ellison, he'd, Nishad Singh, Jane Rosenberg, Reuters Nishad Singh, Singh, I'd, Wang, FTX's, Bankman, Sam, Adam Yedidia, Yedidia, FTX didn't, FTX, Michael M, Ellison Yedidia, Caroline, Getty, Alameda's, — Ellison, Christian Drappi, Drappi, Alameda — Ellison Organizations: Service, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Street, Reuters, Bankman, NEW, Manhattan Federal Court, Getty, FTX, MIT, Alameda Locations: Manhattan, Brooklyn, FTX, Bankman, Alameda, United States, Bahamas, New York City, China, Alameda's Hong Kong

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyers avoid challenges to 'cartoon' villain image
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Defense lawyers will have a chance to put forward a competing narrative when they present their case, beginning as soon as Thursday. A STRATEGIC CHOICEAllowing specific unfavorable accounts by prosecution witnesses to go unchallenged on cross-examination could be a strategic choice by the defense, according to experts. During opening statements, Cohen told jurors of the prosecutors: "They'd have you think he was quite the villain, or, more precisely, almost a cartoon of a villain. "It was pretty humiliating," said Singh, who has pleaded guilty to fraud charges. Ellison, who has also pleaded guilty to fraud, said Bankman-Fried told her that his signature sloppy dress and wild mop of curly locks was an "important part of FTX's image."

Persons: Sam Bankman, Andrew Kelly, Fried, Bankman, doesn't, Jordan Estes, Kramer Levin, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Rachel Maimin, Lowenstein Sandler, Sam, gooder, Nishad Singh, Singh, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Ellison, Luc Cohen, Will Dunham, Amy Stevens Organizations: FTX, Manhattan, REUTERS, Alameda Research, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Washington, Alameda, New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's ex-friends and top lieutenants all demolished his criminal defense from the witness stand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Sam Bankman-Fried's defense attorneys have argued that FTX's collapse is complicated and he didn't know everything. AdvertisementAdvertisementDuring opening statements at Sam Bankman-Fried's trial, it quickly became clear that prosecutors and his defense attorneys had very different approaches. But Bankman-Fried's attorneys may convince jurors that Bankman-Fried genuinely believed his actions were acceptable in the wild-west cryptocurrency industry. The challenge for Bankman-Fried's attorneys is to convince jurors that he didn't know about any wrongdoing. "Sam directed me to," Ellison testified.

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