In his opening statement, Rehn said Bankman-Fried used more than $10 billion in FTX customer funds to amass his own wealth, power and influence. But Rehn said FTX collapsed because of Bankman-Fried's plundering of FTX customer cash. According to prosecutors, Bankman-Fried installed Ellison, his sometime romantic partner, as a "front" to lead Alameda in 2021. "In reality he was still calling the shots at Alameda," Rehn said. But Bankman-Fried's lawyer said that handing over the reins was normal as FTX grew and took up his time.

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Persons: Sam Bankman, Attorney Thane Rehn, Jane Rosenberg REFILE, Fried, Thane Rehn, Mark Cohen, Rehn, Cohen, Zhao, FTX, duping, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Jody Godoy, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, Attorney, Federal Court, REUTERS, Alameda Research, Alameda, Bankman, Thomson Locations: Bankman, FTX, New York City, U.S, Bahamas, Alameda, New York