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☆ 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

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

watch nowLawyers for Sam Bankman-Fried late Wednesday revealed details of his planned testimony if he takes the witness stand at his FTX fraud trial. Earlier Wednesday, one of Bankman-Fried's two chief trial attorneys, Mark Cohen, said in a conference call that his client would testify as would three other people. Cohen cited specific examples where, at the guidance of FTX lawyers, Bankman-Fried adopted a policy which prosecutors argued shows his criminality. But Cohen wrote that Bankman-Fried's understanding was that these auto-deletion policies were "instituted under the guidances of lawyers." "We respectfully submit that Mr. Bankman-Fried's knowledge of industry practices regarding the use of omnibus wallets is relevant to his good faith belief that his conduct was permissible," the letter added.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Bankman, SBF, Gary Wang, Adam Yedidia, Wang, FTX, Sun Organizations: Bahamian, Stanford, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Bankman, Bahamas Securities Commission, Securities Commission, The Locations: Manhattan, FTX, Alameda, Bahamian, The Bahamas, United States

The witnesses have painted a portrait of Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, as a controlling boss who directed them to commit fraud. She was apprehensive about the move, she said, because she knew that would mean borrowing $1 billion in FTX customer funds for the transaction. “That’s OK, I think this is really important, we have to get it done,” Mr. Bankman-Fried told Ms. Ellison, according to her testimony. At Mr. Bankman-Fried’s urging, Mr. Sun said, he ran through a few theoretical options to justify the borrowing and spending of FTX customer money. Prosecutors then played a clip from an interview that Mr. Bankman-Fried gave ABC’s “Good Morning America” days before FTX filed for bankruptcy in November.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bankman, Caroline Ellison —, Adam Yedidia, Mr, Yedidia, FTX, ” Caroline Ellison Ms, Ellison, Ms, Gary Wang Mr, Wang, ”, coder, Nishad Singh Mr, Singh, Gabe, Gabe Bankman, ” Mr, Prosecutors, Barbara Fried, Nishad Singh, Sun, ’ Organizations: Alameda Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Mr, Prosecutors, America Locations: Bahamas, Alameda, Binance, Pandemics

Sam Bankman-Fried took the witness stand on Thursday after days of testimony from his inner circle. The FTX cofounder is facing seven charges of fraud over the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange. AdvertisementAdvertisementSam Bankman-Fried took the witness stand Thursday to testify in his own defense in the criminal trial involving FTX's collapse. After briefly describing the "constant" threat of attempts to hack FTX, Bankman-Fried got into the company's document retention policy, which he said he abided by "to my knowledge." The FTX cofounder is facing seven criminal charges and has pleaded not guilty on all counts.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, —, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Mark Cohen, Gary Wang, Caroline Ellison, Wang, FTX, Ellison, she'd Organizations: Service, FTX, Alameda Research, Alameda Locations: Alameda

☆ FTX is considering 3 bids to restart the crypto exchange, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

FTX is considering proposals from three bidders to relaunch the crypto exchange, Bloomberg reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementFTX, which dramatically imploded last November, is considering three bids to restart the crypto exchange, Bloomberg reported. Bloomberg reported that Cofsky told the judge that the options include selling the entire exchange, bringing in a partner to help restart it, or that FTX could relaunch the exchange itself. The legal team added that the crypto exchange had so far recovered $7.3 billion. AdvertisementAdvertisementSelling or relaunching FTX could be key to reimbursing customers who lost money after it shut down last year.

Persons: —, Kevin Cofsky, FTX, Cofsky, John Ray III, CoinTelegraph, Sam Bankman, Nishad Singh, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang Organizations: Bloomberg, Service Locations: Delaware

☆ 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

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

☆ 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.

Persons: Sam Bankman, They've, —, — Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh —, Thane Rehn, Rehn, Mark Cohen, Ellison, Cohen, FTX, Crypto, it's, Sam Bankman Fried, Craig Ruttle, Sarah Krissoff, Cozen O'Connor, Fried, Krissoff, Singh, Wang, Paul Tuchmann, Wiggin, Dana, Sam, Caroline Ellison, Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, Gary, Sun, He's Organizations: Service, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Alameda Locations: Manhattan, Washington, Bankman, Alameda, New York, FTX, Bahamas

☆ Read the transcript of FTX executives text exchanges
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

GOVERNMENT EXHIBIT 408 22 Cr. 673 (LAK) RS SB small group chat Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman-Fried, Joe Bankman, Ramnik Arora, Zach Dexter, Ryne Miller, C, Can Sun, Constance, Ryan Salame, Nishad Singh, V, Gary Wang Ryan Salame Lol https://twitter.com/moonoverlord/st atus/1589606333468512256?s=46&t =zkVNq2BjTdOmr_t-pfPxpQ I could also retweet 5:24 AM Sam Bankman-Fried I'm tempted to give the emoji there but worry that it won't count if I make it too obvious idk maybe that's more subtle 5:24 AM for now I retweeted 11/7/2022 5:25 AM can also comment if we want 5:25 AM Send a message 5:22 AM Q 5:24 AM 9 +

Persons: Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman, Joe Bankman, Ramnik Arora, Zach Dexter, Ryne Miller, Constance, Ryan Salame, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang Ryan, Lol, Fried I'm

☆ Read the transcript of text between FTX executives
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

GOVERNMENT EXHIBIT SB CE SB CE SB CE SB 406 22 Cr. banks Caroline Ellison maybe 1b from crypto exchanges? lbkr 1.5 btc 0.3 exch 1 modulo 0.3 gbtc 0.3 hood? banks total 2:44 AM 1.5 0.3 1 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 Caroline Ellison seems ballpark reasonable 3:06 AM cust assets? difference Send a message 11/7/2022 3:04 AM 1.5 0.3 1 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 3.9 2:44 AM 12 8.1 2:34 AM 3:08 AM 2:47 AM Q 2:48 AM < +

Persons: Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman, Joe Bankman, Ramnik Arora, Zach Dexter, Ryne Miller, Constance, Ryan Salame, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang Sam Bankman Organizations: BTC Locations: HOOD, treasuries

☆ Read the secret Signal messages that could help put Sam Bankman-Fried behind bars
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +16 min

Sam Bankman-Fried appears at federal court in New York on Oct. 4, 2023, in this courtroom sketch. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Prosecutors are relying heavily on text messages sent among FTX and Alameda Research executives in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried. In a direct appeal to Bankman-Fried, Singh wrote on Nov. 6, 2022, "one thing that'd seriously help me is if I didn't have debts." Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Prosecutors are relying 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 are relying heavily on text messages sent among FTX and Alameda Research executives in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Claudia Johnson, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Ryan Salame, Damian Williams, Yuki Iwamura, Ellison, Bankman, Joe Bankman, Ramnik Arora, Ryne Miller, Constance Wang, Singh, Wang, reassurances, FTX, Changpeng Zhao, he'd, Um, Sam, Binance, Zhao, it's, Sam Trabucco, Ben Xie, Michael Lewis, Lewis, Adam Yedidia, Yedidia, chares, SDNY Singh, Gabe, Salame, Michael Sadowsky, Sadowsky, FTX's, Dawn Giel Organizations: Alameda Research, Stanford, Bloomberg, Getty, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, alameda, Prime Trust Bank Locations: New York, Alameda, Manhattan, U.S, FTX, Sequoia, Alameda's, Bahamas

☆ Will Sam Bankman-Fried take the witness stand? It would be dangerous — but he has little to lose.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Sam Bankman-Fried needs to decide soon whether he'll take the witness stand in his criminal trial. AdvertisementAdvertisementCaroline Ellison testified in the trial of her ex-boyfriend, Sam Bankman-Fried JANE ROSENBERGFor that reason, the case against Bankman-Fried rests on the credibility of his alleged co-conspirators. In their own questioning of the cooperating witnesses, prosecutors have encouraged them to be open about taking responsibility for their crimes. Court sketch of Sam Bankman-Fried on the first day of his trial JANE ROSENBERG/ReutersIf Bankman-Fried takes the stand, he'll be cross-examined by prosecutors. If Bankman-Fried takes the stand, prosecutors will almost certainly point to more material and catch him in any contradictions.

Persons: Sam Bankman, he'll, he's, —, They're, Fried, Mark Cohen, Lewis Kaplan, who's, Cohen, He's, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nashad Singh, Sarah Krissoff, Cozen O'Connor, FTX, Mary Altaffer, Kaplan, Paul Tuchmann, Wiggin, Dana, Tuchmann, Adam Yedidia, Fried JANE ROSENBERG, Ellison, Wang, Singh, Bankman, Wang forthrightly, Ellison teared, slovenliness, Prosecutors —, Krissoff, JANE ROSENBERG, hedged, didn't, Judge Kaplan's, SBF Organizations: Service, Defense, US, Alameda Research, Former Alameda Research, AP, Prosecutors, Toyota Corolla, Reuters, ABC News, Alameda . Locations: Manhattan, Alameda, New York, FTX

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyer says FTX investments were not 'reckless'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | 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/Eduardo Munoz//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 17 (Reuters) - FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyer on Tuesday said the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange's investments were not "reckless and frivolous," pushing back against testimony by a former executive who called its spending on marketing and celebrity endorsements excessive. This is the third week of Bankman-Fried's trial in Manhattan federal court on charges related to the looting billions of dollars in customer funds to make investments, donate to U.S. political campaigns and prop up his hedge fund, Alameda Research. Bankman-Fried, who has pleaded not guilty, has argued that while he made mistakes running FTX, he never intended to steal funds. Jurors have already heard from Gary Wang, FTX's former chief technology officer, and Caroline Ellison, Alameda's onetime chief executive officer and Bankman-Fried's former girlfriend. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Will DunhamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Nishad Singh, Tom Brady, Mark Cohen, Singh, Fried, K5, Cohen, Kendall Jenner's, Gary Wang, FTX's, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Luc Cohen, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, Miami Heat, NFL, Defense, Tuesday, K5, Alameda Research, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Bankman, Manhattan

☆ 'I'd been suicidal for days': Sam Bankman-Fried lieutenant testifies about immense pressure to keep FTX crypto scam going — before it all crashed
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

He testified at the Sam Bankman-Fried trial that he was 'suicidal' over the crypto scam. AdvertisementAdvertisement"I've always been intimidated by Sam," Singh testified Monday. Before the September 2022 realization that Alameda was taking FTX customer money, Singh had participated in fraudulent activity in other ways. When he returned, the FTX CEO told Singh that he believed he could get $5 billion more in investments, Singh testified. As the chaos continued to roil FTX, Bankman-Fried, Ellison, and other executives pointed fingers at each other while employees and customers demanded answers, Singh said.

Persons: Nishad Singh, Sam Bankman, —, Singh, Gary Wang, Caroline Ellison, Wang, Fried, unsurprised, Ellison —, Ellison, FTX wouldn't, he'd, Gabe Bankman, Adam Yedidia, Singh —, Ryan Salame —, Singh's, Sam, FTX, Mary Altaffer, Anthony Scaramucci, Seth Wenig, Salame —, funneling, Coindesk, FTX —, Binance, Jane Rosenberg Bankman, Bankman, I'd, roil Organizations: Service, Alameda Research, Bankman, Alameda, AP, Democratic, Prosecutors, REUTERS Locations: Alameda, FTX, Bahamas, Manhattan, New York, Bankman

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried directed political donations despite $13 bln 'hole', ex-colleague testified
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | 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

Singh said another FTX executive had told him the deals were meant to help spur user growth. 'I WAS A STRAW DONOR'Bankman-Fried's trial, which started on Oct. 3, has so far focused largely on how prosecutors say Bankman-Fried allowed Alameda to plunder FTX customer funds. Singh gave jurors a window into Bankman-Fried's political operation. He said another FTX executive, Ryan Salame, had access to his bank account to make donations via wire transfers. "I knew that the money for those donations was coming from customer funds."

Persons: Sam Bankman, Andrew Kelly, Fried, Nishad Singh, Bankman, Singh, Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, Steph Curry, Larry David, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Michael Kives, Hillary Clinton, FTX, Gary Wang, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Gabriel, Gabriel Bankman, Ryan Salame, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Matthew Lewis, Stephen Coates Organizations: FTX, Manhattan, REUTERS, Alameda Research, U.S, Democratic, Prosecutors, Alameda, Miami Heat's, District, Monday, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, Fried, . U.S, New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried jury sees photo of FTX founder with Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | 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: +4 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW York, Oct 16 - The jury at Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial on Monday saw a photograph of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder with singer Katy Perry and actor Orlando Bloom at the 2022 NFL Super Bowl. Singh is the third former member of Bankman-Fried's inner circle to testify at the trial, which started on Oct. 3. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud and five counts of conspiracy tied to FTX's November 2022 collapse. Singh said another FTX executive had told him the deals were meant to help spur user growth. Since his trial, Bankman-Fried has been seen during testimony typing on a laptop and whispering to his lawyers.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Andrew Kelly, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Prosecutors, Nishad Singh, FTX's, Singh, Gary Wang, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Fried, Perry, Michael Kives, Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, Steph Curry, Larry David, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Nick Zieminski Organizations: FTX, Manhattan, REUTERS, Bowl, Alameda, Miami Heat's, District, Bankman, Prosecutors, New York Times, Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Los Angeles, Brooklyn's, New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's lieutenant Nishad Singh said he was embarrassed by 'flashy' FTX spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Singh testified at Bankman-Fried's trial that his concerns were almost always rebuffed. In Manhattan federal court Monday, Singh testified about how he frequently questioned and pushed back against Bankman-Fried's spending sprees and investment decisions — and was almost always rebuffed. "I would hear that my opinions were already factored in, and I didn't need to continue sharing them," Singh testified. Singh testified that he came to know Bankman-Fried through a friendship with the FTX founder's younger brother, Gabe Bankman-Fried. Infighting over expensesThe pair often disagreed on money, Singh testified.

Persons: Nishad Singh, Sam Bankman, Singh, —, Fried, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, spender, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Gabe Bankman, FTX, SBF, I've, Sam, Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, Steph Curry, Kevin O'Leary, Larry David, Jon Kopaloff, Fatih Aktas, Getty Images Singh, Michael Kives, Hillary Clinton, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Ted Sarandos, Jeff Bezos, Kate Hudson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Corey Gamble, Kendall Jenner, Singh wasn't, Kris Organizations: Service, Bankman, Alameda, US Securities and Exchange Commission, University of California, Facebook, Engineering, Sequoia Capital, Yuga, Miami, Major League Baseball, of Legends, Getty Images, Anadolu Agency, K5 Global Locations: Bankman, FTX, Manhattan, Berkeley, Alameda, Bahamas, Kazakhstan, Albany

☆ Former FTX engineer tells jury about panicky rooftop meeting where he learned how bad things were
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

During that exchange, Singh said he learned from Wang that Alameda was borrowing $13 billion from FTX. Singh asked about the size of the shortfall, and Bankman-Fried said that was the wrong question to be asking. After Singh asked if he would finally agree to curb spending, Bankman-Fried said, "Yes, definitely." There, Singh told the jury, he thought he might quit but instead asked Bankman-Fried for a real sense of how things went on the overseas trip. Singh told the jury that he faces a max of 75 years in prison but is "hoping for no jail time."

Persons: Singh, Caroline, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Sam Bankman, Nicolas Roos, I'm, wasn't, Ramnik Arora, Anthony Scaramucci, he'd, Bankman, Dawn Giel Organizations: Alameda, Alameda Research, U.S, Federal Court Locations: Bahamas, Alameda, Wang, Manhattan, FTX, New York City, New York, Bankman

☆ FTX top engineer testifies Bankman-Fried spent $1.13 billion on celebrities and sponsorships
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

She was preceded by Bankman-Fried's former close friend and college roommate Gary Wang, who was an FTX co-founder. In response to questions from Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Roos, Singh said he frequently went to Bankman-Fried to voice his concerns over the company's spending. He told the court that he would tell Bankman-Fried he was "embarrassed" and "ashamed," and that the level of spending "reeked of excessiveness" and "flashiness." Bankman-Fried faces seven criminal counts related to the collapse of FTX and Alameda, including wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering that could put him in prison for life. At the time, Singh pleaded guilty to six charges, including conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate campaign finance laws.

Persons: Nishad Singh, FTX's, Sam Bankman, Singh, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nicolas Roos, Fried, He's, Ellison, Gabe Organizations: Alameda Research, U.S, University of California, Facebook, Alameda Locations: Manhattan, FTX, Alameda, Bay, Bankman, Berkeley

☆ Secret audio, a star witness, and ‘Thai prostitutes’ complicate Sam Bankman-Fried’s defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

‘The ultimate insider’Caroline Ellison offered crucial testimony this week against her former boss and ex-boyfriend, Sam Bankman-Fried. Like Bankman-Fried, Ellison faces the prospect of 110 years in prison if given a maximum sentence. Bankman-Fried’s defense team cross-examined Ellison for about six hours on Thursday in a meandering, halting back-and-forth that repeatedly prompted objections from the prosecution. The secret audio recordingCaroline Ellison, former chief executive of Alameda Research, leaves federal court in Manhattan on Thursday. Statements like the ones Ellison made in the recording are known as “prior consistent statements of a witness,” Estes said.

Persons: Sam Bankman, He’s, Caroline Ellison, Fried, Jane Rosenberg, —, ”, Jordan Estes, Kramer Levin, “, SBF’s, Ellison, Gary Wang, FTX, Sam, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Mark Cohen, Stephanie Keith, Christian Drappi, “ Sam’s, ” Estes, they’ve, ’, What’s, Estes, that’s, Mary, ” Prosecutors, there’s, ’ ” Estes, you’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Reuters, US Attorney’s, Bloomberg, Getty, Alameda, Christian, ”, CNN Locations: New York, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, Hong Kong, China

☆ EXCLUSIVE: Listen to 1-hour all-hands Alameda Research meeting where Caroline Ellison admitted the crypto firm took FTX customer money
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Caroline Ellison held an all-hands meeting with Alameda employees where she admitted to taking FTX customer funds. The news sent shockwaves through the office of Alameda Research, the crypto trading firm also owned by Sam Bankman-Fried. AdvertisementAdvertisementAt the all-hands meeting, Ellison appeared "sunken, kind of slouching," and "did not display confident body language," Drappi said. At the meeting, Drappi asked Ellison whether she was aware that Alameda was taking customer money without their permission. Bankman-Fried's lawyers argued Thursday that Ellison's statements at the meeting went far beyond what Bankman-Fried intended to tell Alameda employees.

Persons: Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman, —, Fried, Binance, Ellison, Christian Drappi, Drappi, Rick Best, — Ellison, Gary Wang, Nashad Singh, Wang, Singh, FTX Organizations: Alameda, Service, Alameda Research Locations: Alameda, Hong Kong, Japan, YOLO

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's confidant Caroline Ellison will take the stand again at the FTX founder's trial on Thursday, where she could face questions about why she cooperated with prosecutors against her former boss and romantic partner. Bankman-Fried's attorney Mark Cohen is expected to continue cross-examining Ellison, whom he questioned for a few minutes on Wednesday before jurors went home for the day. FTX collapsed and declared bankruptcy in November 2022, shocking financial markets and destroying Bankman-Fried's reputation. A third cooperating witness, former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh, is also expected to testify at the trial, which could last up to six weeks. Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York Editing by Noeleen Walder and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman, Brendan McDermid, Ellison, Fried, Mark Cohen, FTX, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Jody Godoy, Noeleen Walder, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Alameda, Federal Court, REUTERS, Bankman, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Stanford University, Manhattan U.S, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Alameda, New York

Eventually, according to Ellison, Bankman-Fried chose the one that omitted a line saying "FTX borrows," hiding $10 billion in borrowed customer money. When asked by Sassoon why she continued with the scheme, Ellison said, "Sam told me to." She said Bankman-Fried told her she should have hedged and, "speaking loudly and strongly," said it was her fault. CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesEllison then went into her own emotional state. After all the movement of FTX money, the company only had $4 billion to cover $12 billion in customer holdings, she said.

Persons: Caroline Ellison, Yuki Iwamura, Sam Bankman, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Ellison, Fried, Danielle Sassoon, Genesis, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Bankman, FTX, Mark Cohen, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Jane Rosenberg, Sassoon, Sam, Mohammed bin Salman, Jane Street, Slack, she'd, who'd, sloppily Organizations: Alameda Research, Bloomberg, Getty, Saudi Crown, U.S, District, Federal Court, Reuters, Stanford, Bankman, Wall, Alameda, New York Times, MBS, Vox, Forbes, Twitter, Toyota Corolla, Fried Bloomberg Locations: New York, Bankman, Alameda, FTX, New York City, U.S, San Francisco Bay, Saudi, Japan

Former crypto hedge fund Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison finds and points out Sam Bankman-Fried during Bankman-Fried's fraud trial over the collapse of FTX, the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., October 10, 2023, in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Caroline Ellison, the former co-head of Sam Bankman-Fried's hedge fund and a pivotal witness in his trial on fraud charges tied to the collapse of his FTX cryptocurrency exchange, is scheduled to retake the stand on Wednesday morning. Ellison, the former co-chief executive of Alameda Research, testified on Tuesday that she was part of a multibillion-dollar conspiracy led by Bankman-Fried to defraud FTX customers, investors and lenders. Ellison said the hedge fund took about $10 billion in FTX customer funds to repay its debts and make investments. A third cooperating witness, former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh, is also expected to testify at the trial, which could last up to six weeks.

Persons: Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman, Jane Rosenberg, Ellison, FTX, Bankman, shrugged, Fried, Mark Cohen, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Jody Godoy, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Alameda, Federal Court, REUTERS, Alameda Research, Bankman, Manhattan U.S, Stanford University, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: FTX, New York City, U.S, Alameda, New York

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