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☆ 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.

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

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX allies secretly poured $50 million into 'dark money' groups, evidence shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The documents give the first full look at Bankman-Fried and his allies' contributions to so-called "dark money" organizations. While Bankman-Fried quietly funded more conservative dark money groups behind the scenes, he publicly cultivated a profile that was clearly aligned with the Democratic Party. Prosecutors on Monday filed into evidence a list of organizations that received money from Bankman-Fried and those close to him. The documents show that Bankman-Fried was clearly the lead "dark money" donor among the listed former FTX executives and the company itself. The list that prosecutors made public this week shows Bankman-Fried's "dark money" donations were closer to $47 million during the 2022 cycle alone.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Mitch McConnell, Chuck Schumer, Nishad Singh, FTX's, Fried, Barbara Fried, FTX, Ryan Salame, Salame, Caroline Ellison, Ellison Organizations: FTX, Democratic, Republican, Democratic Party, Washington , D.C, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Bankman, Federal, Commission Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Ky, Washington ,, Bankman, Alameda, Washington

☆ ‘Oof’: Sam Bankman-Fried’s Trial Reveals Inside Details of How FTX Died
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( David Yaffe-Bellany | More About David Yaffe-Bellany | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the morning of Nov. 6, Nishad Singh, a top executive at the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, sent a message in a group chat with two senior colleagues. Caroline Ellison, who ran FTX’s sister hedge fund, Alameda Research, replied with an image of a sad face. The company is bankrupt, and Mr. Singh and Ms. Ellison, both 28, have pleaded guilty to fraud and testified in court against their onetime friend. At the trial, prosecutors have used that testimony as the basis for an unvarnished look inside FTX’s rapid unraveling — a frantic week in November that ended in one of the largest corporate collapses in recent history. The prosecutors have even put up a November calendar to help jurors follow the fast-paced sequence of events.

Persons: Nishad Singh, Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman, Singh, Ellison Organizations: Alameda Research Locations: Manhattan

☆ 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

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried replied 'Yep' when FTX's top lawyer told him there was no legal justification for taking customer funds, attorney testified
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A top attorney for FTX testified Thursday in the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried. Can Sun said he was "shocked" by a $7 billion hole in FTX, while Sam Bankman-Fried was unsurprised. AdvertisementAdvertisementFTX's corporate attorney testified in court against his former boss, Sam Bankman-Fried, in Manhattan federal court on Thursday, sharing details about the company's bankruptcy in November 2022. Sun testified that Singh told him Bankman-Fried was unfazed when he confronted the CEO about the hole. Bankman-Fried told Singh something to the effect of: "It is what it is.

Persons: FTX, Sam Bankman, Sun, Fried, SBF, —, –, Singh, Nishad Organizations: Service, Alameda Research, Bankman, Prosecutors Locations: FTX, Manhattan, Alameda, Japan, Bahamas

☆ Read the exchange between FTX and Alameda executives
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

673 (LAK) NS NS SB NS NS NS SB NS SB NS SB NS SB NS SB Nishad Singh lots of withdrawals on ftx are queueing up -- net changes: -1.25b in the last day - 230m in the last 3hrs -120m in the last hr SBF Caroline Nishad Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman-Fried, Nishad Singh (these don't sum, just giving a sense of pace) Nishad Singh This message was deleted. 11:59 AM Sam Bankman-Fried of oof 12:01 PM continuing so far at about 120m/hr 11:59 AM 12:01 PM Nishad Singh we're geting really backlogged in count terms. Sam Bankman-Fried would that actually lead to them de-escalating? idk 6:22 PM Sam Bankman-Fried to be clear do you think the tweet is net bad? 4:18 PM Caroline Ellison is there more cash we could withdraw via SEN?

Persons: Singh, Caroline Nishad Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman, Nishad Singh, Nishad Singh we're geting, caroline, it's, I'm, Caroline Ellison, Ryan, FTX Organizations: SEN

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ FTX’s Political Donations Came From Stolen Customer Funds, Testifies Company Insider Nishad Singh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Corinne Ramey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/ftxs-political-donations-came-from-stolen-customer-funds-testifies-company-insider-nishad-singh-a4d7dd84

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ 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

Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas a month later. Singh pleaded guilty to fraud charges and agreed to testify against the man he'd known since high school. Singh said he had little influence over Bankman-Fried. “I can’t have lawyers coming in and giving drugs to people on trial because somebody says they need it. ___For more AP coverage of Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX: https://apnews.com/hub/sam-bankman-fried

Persons: —, Sam Bankman, “ blindsided, ” Nishad Singh, Fried, Singh, “, ”, he'd, ” Singh, Jeff Bezos, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Brady, Larry David, Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, ” Kaplan Organizations: Bankman, Alameda Research, FTX, Amazon, Miami Heat, Major League Baseball Locations: FTX, Bankman, Bahamas, Manhattan, Palo Alto , California, San Francisco, California, Miami

☆ 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

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried may need a Hail Mary if he wants to win over jurors
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Nishad Singh, former director of engineering at FTX, arrives at federal court in New York on Monday. Whether or not to testify is case-dependent, and clients take a big risk in opening themselves up to cross-examination by prosecutors. The Adderall issueSam Bankman-Fried, center, has pleaded not guilty to seven federal counts of fraud and conspiracy. So he’s only getting one in the morning before he’s transferred to the courthouse and one in the evening. While they have not yet presented their case, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers have repeatedly failed to stick the landing when it comes to cross-examining the government’s witnesses.

Persons: CNN Business ’, Sam Bankman, Mary, Nishad Singh, Yuki Iwamura, wouldn’t, ”, Jordan Estes, Kramer Levin, Estes, aren’t, Hail Mary, Elizabeth Williams, Mark Cohen, he’s, Cohen, hasn’t, Fried, Bankman, ” Cohen, Caroline Ellison, you’ll Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Bloomberg, US Attorney’s, Hail, AP, Metropolitan Detention, of Prisons Locations: New York, Manhattan, Bankman, Alameda, FTX

☆ 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

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

Ellison said the hedge fund, Alameda Research, took about $10 billion in FTX customer funds to repay its debts and make investments. Gary Wang, FTX's former technology chief, testified that Bankman-Fried falsely tweeted that FTX was "fine" in November as the exchange faced surging demand for withdrawals. Bankman-Fried left in 2017 to found Alameda, and Ellison followed when he offered her a job as a trader. "He was very ambitious," Ellison told the court. In testimony that could undermine that argument, Ellison said she always consulted Bankman-Fried on big decisions and always deferred to him.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, FTX, Fried, Mark Cohen, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Bankman, Jane, Joe Biden's, Cohen, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Jody Godoy, Noeleen Walder, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Alameda Research, Manhattan U.S, Prosecutors, Alameda, Bankman, Wall, Ellison, New York Times, Times, District, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Alameda, FTX

In the memo, Bankman-Fried called Alameda's failure to hedge its bets a "mistake." When Everdell asked if the decision not to hedge was Ellison's, Wang replied that she was Alameda's CEO at the time. Prosecutors said last week they planned to call Ellison to take the stand once Wang finishes his testimony. She was seen entering the courthouse on Tuesday morning wearing a blue baseball cap and sunglasses, and carrying a blue thermos. A third former member of Bankman-Fried's inner circle, ex-FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh, is also expected to testify at trial.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Caroline Ellison, Christian Everdell's, Gary Wang, Everdell, Wang, Ellison, Prosecutors, Fried, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Nishad Singh, FTX, Christian Everdell, Mark Cohen, Luc Cohen, Jody Godoy, Noeleen Walder, Matthew Lewis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Alameda Research, New York Times, U.S, District, Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, Bankman, Alameda, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Brooklyn's, Alameda, Washington ,

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's ex-girlfriend set to take stand as fraud trial's star witness
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | 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/Eduardo Munoz//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial is set to resume on Tuesday with testimony from his former colleagues at the now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange, including his onetime girlfriend Caroline Ellison. Prosecutors said last week they planned to call Ellison, the former co-chief executive officer of Bankman-Fried's Alameda Research hedge fund, to take the stand once Wang finishes his testimony. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said that likely amounted to witness-tampering, and on Aug. 11 revoked Bankman-Fried's bail. A third former member of Bankman-Fried's inner circle, ex-FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh, is also expected to testify at trial. Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jody Godoy in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Prosecutors, Ellison, Wang, Ellison's, Fried, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Nishad Singh, FTX, Christian Everdell, Mark Cohen, Luc Cohen, Jody Godoy, Noeleen Walder, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Alameda Research, New York Times, U.S, District, Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, Bankman, Alameda, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Alameda, Brooklyn's, Manhattan, Washington ,

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