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☆ 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

☆ Three hours to guilty: How the government nailed Sam Bankman-Fried
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

David Dee Delgado | ReutersIn Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial, prosecutors won quickly by keeping it simple. "While the cryptocurrency industry might be new and the players like Sam Bankman-Fried might be new, this kind of corruption is as old as time," Williams said. Sam Bankman-Fried's parents, seated to the left, react to the verdict. "Sam Bankman-Fried will be remembered as one of the biggest fraudsters of our lifetimes," Mariotti said. WATCH: Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty on all seven counts

Persons: Sam Bankman, David Dee Delgado, CNBC they'd, Yesha Yadav, Fried, Nicolas Roos, Danielle Sassoon, Crypto, Roos, Sassoon, Marc, Antoine Julliard, Renato Mariotti, who's, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Damian Williams, Williams, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Sorkin, that's, It's, SBF, Mariotti, Paul Tuchmann, Wiggin, Dana, Tuchmann, Elizabeth Williams, Caroline Ellison, Bankman, Ellison, James Koutoulas, Koutoulas, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, FTX coder Adam Yedidia, FTX's, Sun, Kevin J, O'Brien, Mark Cohen Organizations: FTX, Manhattan, Reuters, CNBC, Vanderbilt University ., U.S . Justice Department's Securities, Commodities, Southern, of, Prosecutors, Stanford, Alameda Research, New York Times DealBook, Washington , D.C, U.S, Justice Department, Trading Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: New York City, London, Chicago, U.S, of New York, Alameda, Washington ,, Bankman, New York

☆ 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

☆ Starbursts, smuggled coffee and Martin Shkreli: How CNBC reported the Sam Bankman-Fried trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Artist: Elizabeth WilliamsJust before 8 p.m. on Thursday, 12 jurors found Sam Bankman-Fried guilty of all seven counts against him. (CNBC put out a note requesting access ahead of the trial — an email which was ultimately ignored.) Every exit to file a report included another breakneck trip through security, in a sort of run, rinse, repeat cycle — security, courtroom, exit, photographer's car to file, back up through security, over and over again. CNBC correspondent MacKenzie Sigalos reporting on the Sam Bankman-Fried trial from outside the SDNY courthouse at 500 Pearl Street in downtown Manhattan. Around 8:02 p.m., Bankman-Fried, speechless, began to walk to a room just adjacent to the main court.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Elizabeth Williams, Fried, MacKenzie Sigalos, Dan Mangan, Martin Shkreli, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Michael Lewis, Lewis, Indiana Jones, Ben McKenzie, McKenzie, Damian Williams, They'd, Danielle Sassoon, Jane Rosenberg, Joe Bankman, Barbara Fried, Joseph Bankman, Brendan Mcdermid, gaunt, Kaplan, Bankman, Mark Cohen, Judge Kaplan, blankly, Christian Everdell, Cohen Organizations: Alameda Research, Southern, of, CNBC, Auburn University totebag, Capitalism, U.S, Federal Court Locations: of New York, San Francisco, Vegas, Georgia, Manhattan, Indiana, New York City, U.S

☆ The 5 most memorable moments from the Sam Bankman-Fried trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty Thursday following a monthlong trial that was almost as wild as the rapid rise and fall of cryptocurrency exchange FTX itself. He was found guilty of stealing billions of dollars from accounts belonging to customers of FTX. During the trial, Bankman-Fried took the unusual – and risky – decision to testify in his own defense. “I was kind of busy and lazy and didn’t bother getting a haircut for long periods of time,” Bankman-Fried said. “No offense to the Kansas City Royals, but we didn’t want to be known as the Kansas City Royals of crypto exchanges,” SBF testified.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bernie Madoff’s, Caroline Ellison, SBF’s, Mark Cohen, ” Cohen, “, ”, Cohen, SBF, Ellison, ” SBF, Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan interjected, Bankman, Danielle Sassoon, …, Sassoon, ’ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Miami Heat, American Airlines, FTX, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Kaseya, PR, Alameda Locations: New York, FTX, Bahamas, United States, Kansas City, Bankman, China, Alameda

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried tried to pin his fraud scheme on his closest friends. Then they turned on him for it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

A jury found Sam Bankman-Fried guilty in his fraud trial over the collapse of FTX. One by one, his friends flipped to work with the prosecution and threw Bankman-Fried under a much bigger bus. That's how a jury found him guilty of seven counts in his federal fraud trial in downtown Manhattan on Thursday evening. AdvertisementAdvertisementSingh, for example, testified he was "blindsided and horrified" when he found out in November that Alameda had used FTX customer money. The sentencing schedule may depend on a second criminal trial Bankman-Fried faces for alleged illegal campaign contributions.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, SBF, —, FTX, –, Nicolas Roos, Jim Angel, Angel, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Bankman, Singh, blindsided, Ellison, Sam, Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, Wang, Singh —, Mark Cohen, Cohen, who'd, Adam Yedidia, Sun, deflating, they're, Chelsea Jia Feng, Danielle Sassoon, Roos Organizations: Service, Prosecutors, MIT, Georgetown, Financial Markets, Alameda, Bankman Locations: FTX, Alameda, Manhattan, Bankman

☆ Who is former crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Samantha Delouya | Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York (CNN) — Sam Bankman-Fried, once known as a cryptocurrency whiz kid, was found guilty on Thursday for his role in the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. His entrepreneurial drive didn’t stop there: In 2019, Bankman-Fried co-founded cryptocurrency exchange FTX and became its CEO. In December 2022, Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas after US prosecutors filed criminal charges against him. Jane Rosenberg/ReutersBankman-Fried was found guilty of stealing billions of dollars from accounts belonging to customers of his once-high-flying crypto exchange FTX. Immediately following FTX’s crash, crypto exchange Gemini, which was founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, froze customer redemptions in its lending unit, citing market turmoil.

Persons: — Sam Bankman, FTX, Jane Street, ”, Fried, “, …, ” Sam Bankman, Erika P, Rodriguez, Jane, Caroline Ellison, Binance, Sam Bankman, Danielle Sassoon, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Jane Rosenberg, Joe Bankman, Barbara Fried, Bankman, Allan Joseph Bankman, Yuki Iwamura, Samuel Bankman, Saul Loeb, ingratiated, Tom Brady, Stephen Curry, Naomi Osaka, Larry David, Cameron, Tyler Winklevoss Organizations: CNN, Jane, Capital, MIT, Alameda Research, Chicago Tribune, Tribune, Service, SoftBank, U.S, District, Reuters, Bloomberg, Royal Bahamas Police Force, Billionaire, Stanford, FTX, Getty, Democratic Party, Federal, Commission, Republican, Agriculture, Nutrition, Forestry, Miami Heat, ”, New Locations: York, Alameda, North Berkeley , California, Nassau, Bahamas, BlackRock, Bankman, Hong Kong, United States, FTT, New York City, U.S, FTX, New York, Washington ,

☆ Jury Begins Deliberations for a Verdict in Sam Bankman-Fried’s Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( J. Edward Moreno | More About J. Edward Moreno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jurors have sat through his trial for nearly a month now, hearing from witnesses including some of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s closest associates, who placed blame squarely on him. On Wednesday, closing arguments were made by a federal prosecutor, Nicolas Roos, and Mr. Bankman-Fried’s lawyer, Mark Cohen. In his closing statements, Mr. Roos reminded the jury of the evidence and testimony from witnesses who said Mr. Bankman-Fried had directed them to commit crimes. Mr. Cohen sought to portray his client as someone who acted in good faith but made mistakes. He has held the trial on some Fridays, which the jury usually has off, and has been willing to hold jurors past 4:30 p.m., when they are usually relieved.

Persons: Bankman, Nicolas Roos, Mark Cohen, Danielle Sassoon, Cohen’s, Roos, Fried, Cohen, Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, Judge Kaplan

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York jury began deliberating on Thursday whether FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was guilty of fraud in the disappearance of billions of dollars from his customers’ accounts on the cryptocurrency exchange he created four years ago. The Manhattan federal court jury began its work after a judge explained the law that will steer them through seven charges lodged against the California man. Bankman-Fried, 31, testified during the monthlong trial that he did not defraud thousands of investors worldwide. Earlier Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon delivered a rebuttal argument, the last of closing arguments that began a day earlier. “When Sam testified before you, he told you the truth, the messy truth, that in the real world miscommunications happen, mistakes happen, delays happen,” Cohen said.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, He’s, Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, he'd, Palo, Danielle Sassoon, ” Sassoon, FTX, “, Mark Cohen, ” Cohen, Sam, ” Organizations: U.S, Alameda Research Locations: York, Manhattan, California, New York, Bahamas, Palo Alto , California, Alameda

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

☆ Sam Bankman Fried’s fate is now officially in the hands of 12 jurors
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Sam Bankman-Fried’s fate is now officially in the hands of a jury of his peers. Chief among those errors, according to his own testimony, was was not hiring a dedicated risk management team. “I made a number of small mistakes and a number of larger mistakes,” Bankman-Fried said on the stand last week. Although Bankman-Fried made mistakes, he never defrauded anyone, Cohen told jurors. “Poor risk management is not a crime.”Bankman-Fried’s parents, Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman, were both in the courtroom again Thursday.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Fried, ”, They’ve, “, Danielle Sassoon, Mark Cohen, Cohen, ” Cohen, Barbara Fried, Joseph Bankman, Bankman, — Sabrina Souza Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research Locations: New York, Manhattan, FTX, Alameda

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Seek to Regain Ground in FTX Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Corinne Ramey | James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried said repeatedly from the witness stand that he couldn’t recall many of his past statements. Photo: jane rosenberg/ReutersSam Bankman-Fried ’s lawyers rested their case Tuesday after seeking to rehabilitate the FTX founder’s credibility from the prosecutors’ two-day grilling. Bankman-Fried, dressed in a gray suit, floundered through the end of Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon’s cross-examination.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, jane rosenberg, Reuters Sam Bankman, Danielle Sassoon’s Organizations: Reuters, U.S

☆ 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

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 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

In a courtroom sketch, Judge Lewis Kaplan watches as FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried testifies earlier in his fraud trial. Photo: jane rosenberg/ReutersSam Bankman-Fried faced his biggest test in the legal hot seat Monday, grilled by a federal prosecutor who was intent on poking holes through the FTX founder’s claims that unfortunate management mistakes, not criminal activity, were to blame for the crypto exchange’s collapse. The fallen crypto star, testifying in his own defense in New York against fraud and other charges, began by confidently answering questions from his own lawyer, saying he had been honest with customers and investors and believed his business empire was in good financial shape. The trial proceedings shifted quickly after Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon began her cross-examination and sought to confront Bankman-Fried with a litany of his past public statements whose truthfulness she questioned.

Persons: Lewis Kaplan, Sam Bankman, Fried, jane rosenberg, Reuters Sam Bankman, Danielle Sassoon, Bankman Organizations: Reuters, U.S Locations: New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried grilled on 'cozy' relationship with Bahamas officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | 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

REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 31 (Reuters) - FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was grilled on Tuesday about what a U.S. prosecutor called his "cozy" relationship with officials in the Bahamas, where the cryptocurrency exchange was based before its November 2022 collapse. Sassoon asked. Bankman-Fried testified on Tuesday he could not remember whether he offered to pay off the Bahamas' national debt. Sassoon at one point asked Bankman-Fried whether he had "cultivated a cozy relationship" with the Bahamian government - a question to which the defense objected. Bankman-Fried testified that he had spent time with Bahamian officials and became close with "some of them."

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Danielle Sassoon, Jane Rosenberg, Sassoon, Gary Wang, Bankman, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, Alameda Research, FTX's, Miami Heat National Basketball Association, Bahamian, District, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bahamas, Manhattan, Alameda, Washington, New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried’s fourth day on the stand is not going well
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Sam Bankman-Fried is back in court Tuesday for a fourth day of testimony as his federal fraud trial continues. Bankman-Fried testified that he attended a dinner with the island nation’s prime minister, alongside former US president Bill Clinton and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. In November last year, after FTX had frozen customer withdrawals amid a liquidity crunch, Bankman-Fried offered to open up withdrawals for all Bahamian customers. Bankman-Fried testified he did open those withdrawals “for a short period.”Bankman-Fried also testified that he doesn’t recall ever directing Alameda employees not to spend the FTX customer deposits. ‘Uninvolved’ in AlamedaMark Cohen, Bankman-Fried’s lead attorney, gave him a chance Tuesday morning to clarify some of his testimony regarding the relationship between FTX and Alameda.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bankman, Fried, Danielle Sassoon, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, FTX, ”, Alameda Mark Cohen, SBF, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Bankman, Bahamian, Alameda Locations: New York, Bahamas, Alameda, FTX

The biggest involved Alameda Research, the sister hedge fund he controlled that’s at the heart of a collapse that has cost investors, business partners and customers billions. Under questioning, he conceded that he played a larger role at Alameda before it imploded. His decision to testify was long seen as risky, and that became clearer yesterday. The 31-year-old, who faces nearly a lifetime in prison on fraud and money-laundering charges, delivered curt “yep,” “no” and several “I’m not sure” responses, the latter drawing rebukes from the judge. The lead prosecutor used Bankman-Fried’s own words against him.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, curt “ yep, I’m, Danielle Sassoon, Antonin Scalia, Bankman Organizations: Alameda Research, Supreme, Twitter Locations: Alameda

☆ 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 ,

☆ 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

The 31-year-old onetime crypto mogul fumbled for an answer when the prosecutor, Danielle Sassoon, repeatedly asked whether he had told his employees not to spend FTX customer money on investments, pricey real estate and other expenditures. Mr. Bankman-Fried also couldn’t name any employees who might have authorized the use of FTX customer money for that spending. “I don’t recall giving any direction,” Mr. Bankman-Fried said three times about the spending of FTX customer money before he concluded his testimony. Both sides rested their case before lunchtime on Tuesday, with closing statements set to unfold on Wednesday. Mr. Bankman-Fried was on the stand for a third day testifying before a jury in his own defense for a trial that has come to symbolize the highs and lows of the volatile crypto industry.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Danielle Sassoon, Fried, ” Mr Organizations: Alameda Research Locations: Alameda

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

☆ Live updates: Sam Bankman-Fried's cross-examination begins with a grilling from federal prosecutors
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Cnn'S Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

US Assistant Attorney Danielle Sassoon is leading the government's cross-examination of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. Sassoon was a law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia, whom she said taught her "how to fire a pistol and a rifle, and made me feel like I had grit," she wrote in 2016. "He thickened my skin, which was the best preparation for a career in a male-dominated field." Sassoon received her law degree from Yale and has a bachelor's degree in History and Literature from Harvard.

Persons: Danielle Sassoon, Sam Bankman, Sassoon, Antonin Scalia Organizations: Yale, Harvard

☆ Takeaways from Sam Bankman-Fried’s second day in front of a jury
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Lucy Bayly | Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Prosecutors grilled former crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried on Monday as his criminal fraud trial entered its third week. The pace of withdrawals then increased further, with about $4 billion in net withdrawals the following day, or 100 times more than a typical day. A market downturn meant that assets associated with FTX’s sister company, the hedge fund Alameda Research, “declined massively in value,” he said. Ellison agreed Alameda should have been hedgedBankman-Fried on Monday recalled a conversation he had with Caroline Ellison, his ex-girlfriend and then-CEO of Alameda Research. “Do you recall saying FTX and Alameda acted separately?” Sassoon asked.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bernie Madoff, ”, Fried, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, FTX, “, SBF, Ellison, Caroline Ellison, Danielle Sassoon, ” Sassoon, “ I’m, Sassoon, ” SBF, What’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, “, PR Locations: New York, Alameda, Alameda . Alameda

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