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☆ It's time to revive the 'pink-slip parties' of the early 2000s
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

First: Remember "pink-slip parties"? Now, 20-some years later, pink-slip parties are being floated as a way to ameliorate the pain felt by recently laid-off tech workers. Pink-slip parties originated with the dot-com bubble burst, when laid-off employees would gather to commiserate, laugh, drink, and meet prospective hiring managers. Hemming began running regular meetups for laid-off tech workers — misery loves company, after all — giving them an opportunity to network. She shared her thoughts on everything from the current hiring landscape to the benefits of pink-slip parties for younger generations.

☆ Alameda's ex-CEO tells judge she hid billions in loans to FTX execs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | 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: +1 min

Companies Alameda Research FollowNEW YORK, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried and other FTX executives received billions of dollars in secret loans from the crypto mogul's Alameda Research, the hedge fund's former chief told a judge in her guilty plea for her role in the exchange's collapse. "We prepared certain quarterly balance sheets that concealed the extent of Alameda’s borrowing and the billions of dollars in loans that Alameda had made to FTX executives and to related parties," Ellison told U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams in Manhattan federal court, according to the transcript. Bankman-Fried has been accused of orchestrating an "epic" fraud that led to the loss of billions of dollars of customer and investor funds. He has acknowledged risk-management failures at FTX but said he does not believe he has criminal liability and he has not entered a plea. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York Writing by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Del.

☆ What's next for Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman-Fried's ex who helped run Alameda Research
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Caroline Ellison, Alameda's ex-CEO, is out on a $250,000 bond after pleading guilty in the FTX case. She and FTX cofounder Gary Wang are working with feds probing Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire. The plea deals that Ellison, who was the CEO of Bankman-Fried's trading firm Alameda Research, and FTX cofounder Gary Wang have struck with federal prosecutors in New York free them each on $250,000 bonds. The counts against Ellison carry a maximum penalty of 110 years, if the sentences for each were to be stacked up. They won't be sentenced until after prosecutors unveil much more of their investigation and Bankman-Fried's own fate becomes clearer.

☆ Photos of Caroline Ellison are hard to find, so here are 20 portraits by a robot of your fallen crypto queen wishing you a very happy holiday
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Nicholas Carlson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Perhaps you saw the news earlier this week that Caroline Ellison, the former Alameda Research CEO and ex-lover of Sam Bankman-Fried, pleaded guilty to charges that carry up to 110 years in prison. If you did, you probably saw the same photo of Ellison that everyone has seen dozens of times. I'm talking about the one where she's looking at the camera through big glasses with a big smile, looking more like a Hufflepuff than a notorious white-collar criminal. So we paid the robots at Lensa to come up with a new one – or a new 20 or so. Happy holidays from Insider and a robot's vision of your fallen crypto queen, Caroline Ellison.

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who is accused of misappropriating billions of dollars deposited in the crypto currency exchange, will be released on $250 million personal recognizance bond, a federal judge in New York ruled Thursday. Bankman-Fried, wearing a dark blue suit and tan shoes, walked into court with shackles around his ankles. A recognizance bond is a written commitment from the accused to appear in court when ordered. Bankman-Fried’s parents, both Stanford Law professors, were in the courtroom. Sam Bankman-Fried, center, arrives at the Magistrate Court building for a hearing in Nassau, Bahamas, on Dec. 21, 2022.

The collapse of crypto exchange FTX is becoming clearer. Complaints from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission released Wednesday night provide the most comprehensive look yet at how Sam Bankman-Fried’s operation came crashing down. The new documents, totalling 81 pages, allege how FTX sent customer funds to Bankman-Fried’s hedge fund, Alameda Research, directed high-level executives to create special software code to make such transfers easier, hid losses, and even continued to secretly siphon funds to Alameda as the company was headed toward insolvency. Two top business associates of Bankman-Fried, former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison and FTX co-founder Gary Wang, are defendants in the civil cases brought by the SEC and CFTC and have pleaded guilty to criminal fraud charges, a federal prosecutor in New York said Wednesday. Here are the 14 most notable passages in the complaints, with the full documents embedded below:

☆ New FTX Charges Against Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang Show U.S. Is Going After Deputies Too
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Vicky Ge Huang | Hannah Miao | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The guilty plea on fraud charges by two associates of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried paves the way for U.S. authorities to hold more of his deputies responsible for the cryptocurrency exchange’s collapse. Caroline Ellison, who ran FTX’s sister trading firm Alameda Research, and Gary Wang, FTX’s former chief technology officer, both pleaded guilty this week to criminal offenses similar to those Mr. Bankman-Fried was charged with and are cooperating with federal investigators.

The co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the former CEO of Sam Bankman-Fried's hedge fund, Alameda Research, have pleaded guilty to fraud, a federal prosecutor in New York said Wednesday. The SEC complaint alleges that Wang "created FTX’s software code that allowed Alameda to divert FTX customer funds," and that Ellison used those funds for Alameda's trading. The SEC complaint alleges a complex scheme to trick both investors and customers into believing that FTX had strict and advance risk mitigation. "From the inception of FTX, Defendants and Bankman-Fried diverted FTX customer funds to Alameda, and continued to do so until FTX’s collapse in November 2022," the SEC complaint reads. “If you participated in misconduct at FTX or Alameda, now is the time to get ahead of it,” he said.

FTX co-founder Gary Wang and former Alameda Research co-CEO Caroline Ellison both pleaded guilty to federal charges in the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a message Wednesday. Wang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Ellison pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The SEC alleges that both Ellison and Wang, in their respective roles at Alameda and FTX, abetted Bankman-Fried in allegedly defrauding FTX customers. Ellison, 28, and Wang, 29, become the second and third individuals to be charged in connection with FTX's multibillion-dollar collapse.

☆ How athletes are cashing in on 'the Netflix effect' as sports documentaries boom at Apple TV+, Amazon, and more streamers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Elaine Low | Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A boom in sports documentaries has offered athletes more ways to be on screen and build their brands. Players and their agents are looking for hits like Netflix Formula 1 doc series "Drive to Survive." Apple TV+, HBO, and Amazon are all competing for sports docs that bring viewers into athletes' lives. Being featured in a sports doc can dramatically raise an athlete's profile, giving them more fans and more branding power. Netflix's "Drive to Survive" was credited with doing wonders for F1 fandom, particularly stateside, where American interest has historically been scarce.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried played crossword puzzles, read local newspapers, and ate vegan food while in a notorious Bahamas jail, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam Bankman-Fried played crossword puzzles while being held in a notorious Bahamas jail, Bloomberg reported. He was held in Fox Hill prison's sick bay, where inmates have running water, among other perks, per Bloomberg. Bankman-Fried flew from the Bahamas to New York overnight Wednesday to face fraud charges in the US. New arrivals at Fox Hill must spend two weeks in the jail's sick bay to check they don't have COVID-19, the Daily Mail reported a prison source as saying. Fox Hill's sick bay may be an improvement on the rest of the jail but it's nonetheless a considerable downgrade from Bankman-Fried's $30 million Bahamas penthouse.

☆ No, Sam Bankman-Fried and his parents didn't just shell out $250 million for bail. Here's how it works.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A New York federal court released Sam Bankman-Fried on Thursday on a $250 million bail. He didn't pay it upfront, but his parents' Palo Alto home helps secure his promise not to flee. Bankman-Fried said last month that he believed he had about $100,000 in his bank account. In this case, Bankman-Fried's parents' home in Palo Alto offers such a security, along with types of collateral posted by others who weren't named in the filing. Bankman-Fried previously said in media interviews last month that he had seen just about $100,000 in his account at the time.

Federal prosecutors endorsed plans to allow two former Sam Bankman-Fried lieutenants, Gary Wang and Caroline Ellison, to post bail after both pleaded guilty to supporting a multibillion-dollar fraud allegedly perpetrated by former FTX CEO Bankman-Fried, court documents show. Wang and Ellison would be required to post $250,000 in bail each, surrender their passports and restrict their travel to the continental United States. In addition to admitting their complicity in the collapse of FTX, Wang and Ellison signed consent orders with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a civil concession that Bankman-Fried has yet to make. Wang, 29, and Ellison, 28, both pleaded guilty to fraud charges stemming from their leadership positions at FTX and Alameda, respectively. In a prerecorded statement Wednesday night, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the indicted former FTX CEO had been taken into FBI custody after a chaotic Bahamas extradition process.

☆ Prosecutors charge two top executives in connection with FTX collapse
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors on Wednesday said they have charged Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research, and Zixiao (Gary) Wang, the former Chief Technology Officer of FTX Trading Ltd. (FTX) with defrauding investors in the crypto trading platform. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a video statement that both Wang and Ellison have pleaded guilty to the charges and have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. He said that Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX, is now in FBI custody and is on his way to the United States. Williams also gave a stark warning in the video: "If you participated in misconduct at FTX or Alameda, now is the time to get ahead of it. Reporting by Chris Prentice and Luc Cohen; Editing by Megan Davies & Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Read the SEC complaint accusing former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison and FTX cofounder Gary Wang of participating in a years-long fraud with Sam Bankman-Fried
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It said Alameda Research's Caroline Ellison and FTX's Gary Wang were "active participants" in fraud. The SEC complaint was published Wednesday. Bankman-Fried has been accused of siphoning off FTX customers' money for his personal use on venture investments, real-estate purchases, and political donations. The SEC said that Wang created software that helped divert FTX customer funds to Alameda and that Ellison misappropriated these funds for Alameda's trading activity. The SEC said Ellison and Wang were cooperating with the investigation.

☆ Caroline Ellison is cooperating with prosecutors after the collapse of FTX. New legal docs reveal how she acted on behalf of Sam Bankman-Fried.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison pinned FTX's downfall on disgraced cofounder Sam Bankman-Fried, SEC documents show. "Ellison, at Bankman-Fried's direction, caused Alameda to manipulate the price of FTT," the SEC complaint reads. Prosecutors are accusing Bankman-Fried of using his Alameda trading firm as "his personal piggy bank." 'At Bankman-Fried's direction'The phrase "at Bankman-Fried's direction" is listed 10 times in the 38-page document, most often linked to Ellison. Despite being co-CEO of Alameda, Ellison usually consulted Bankman-Fried prior to making any big decisions regarding the firm as well.

☆ Rising rates are weighing on the housing market - and macro headwinds could keep the sector depressed in 2023.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Don't shoot the messenger here, but today I'm breaking down the many troubles plaguing the housing market and homebuyers. The Fed's interest rate maneuvering and the housing market are connected, and mortgage rates often move in lockstep with the central bank's benchmark rate. Brian Jacobsen, a senior strategist for Allspring Global Investments, pointed to a triumvirate of headwinds weighing on the housing sector: labor shortages, rising costs, and soaring mortgages. That means more rate hikes are effectively guaranteed, which raises the odds of a recession and can further squash housing demand. What's your forecast for the housing market next year?

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's mother is pictured arriving at his bail hearing in New York
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sam Bankman-Fried's mother, Barbara Fried, is a professor at Stanford Law School. Barbara Fried, a professor emerita at Stanford Law School, was seen laughing during Bankman-Fried's hearing earlier this month in the Bahamas when her son was called a "fugitive." Barbara Fried on her way to her son Sam Bankman-Fried's bail hearing. Until recently, Bankman-Fried's parents— both associated with Stanford Law School— have been accompanying their son in the Bahamas, where FTX was based. Joseph Bankman is described as a "leading scholar in the field of tax law," in his biography in the Stanford Law School directory.

Dec 22 (Reuters) - FTX founder and former Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried, who faces U.S. fraud charges over the collapse of FTX, ran his crypto empire with a number of associates. GARY WANGGary Wang co-founded FTX and Alameda Research with Bankman-Fried, and served as FTX's chief technology officer. He and Bankman-Fried met at a math camp in high school and became college roommates, Bankman-Fried wrote in a now-unavailable FTX blog. Wang worked as a software engineer at Google before co-founding FTX and Alameda, according to an archived webpage for the FTX Future Fund, the company's charitable effort. NISHAD SINGHNishad Singh was a best friend of Bankman-Fried's brother in high school, Bankman-Fried wrote in the deleted blog post.

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried is escorted out of the Magistrate's Court on December 21, 2022 in Nassau, Bahamas. FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried will be released on $250 million bond while awaiting trial for fraud and other criminal charges, a New York federal judge ruled Thursday. Judge Gabriel Gorenstein said Bankman-Fried would require "strict" supervision following his release to his parents' home in California. Bernie Madoff posted a $10 million bond while awaiting trial on his multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. Jeff Skilling, former Enron CEO, posted a $5 million bond, while Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos founder, posted a scant $500,000.

☆ Gary Wang, the mysterious FTX cofounder, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges. Here's what we know about the key player in the failed crypto empire.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

FTX cofounder Gary Wang was a critical player during the rise and fall of SBF's crypto empire . Wang also served as FTX's former chief technology officer but kept a low profile. Wang served as the chief technology officer at FTX until the exchange collapsed in mid-November. Wang later became the chief technology officer at FTX, establishing himself as a key member of the crypto empire's inner circle. Fraud charges and guilty pleaUnlike his cofounder, Wang has largely disappeared from view since he was fired from FTX after the company's implosion.

☆ Sam-Bankman Fried to be released on $250 million bail and will be required to stay with parents ahead of FTX trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sam Bankman-Fried was granted release on $250 million bail at a court hearing Thursday. He will be required to surrender his passport and stay with his parents ahead of a federal trial on a list of charges tied to the failure of FTX. Bankman-Fried will be required to attend a court hearing in California at 10 a.m. Friday, Gorenstein ruled. Another court hearing is scheduled for January 3 in Manhattan, where Bankman-Fried is expected to enter a plea. Criminal allegations against Ellison and Wang, first filed on December 19, were unsealed in court on Thursday morning ahead of Bankman-Fried's court appearance.

☆ Life at Wall Street headhunting firm Durlston Partners appeared picturesque, but some insiders say that wasn't the reality
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Life at Durlston Partners. Insider's Alex Morrell has a gripping report on life at Durlston Partners, a headhunting firm that places talent at some of Wall Street's biggest buy-side firms. Durlston Partners, or "DP" as it was known within the company, promoted an unbeatable culture. Click here to read more about life inside Durlston Partners and allegations about the leadership of Bahram. Jamie Dimon's 17-year tenure on the top of JPMorgan has made him the face of Wall Street.

☆ Gary Wang, the mysterious FTX cofounder, is cooperating with prosecutors. Here's what we know about the key player in the failed crypto empire.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

FTX cofounder Gary Wang was a critical player during the rise and fall of SBF's crypto empire . Throughout his time at FTX, Wang maintained a limited online presence and steered clear of media interviews, leaving the limelight to his cofounder, Sam Bankman-Fried. But at FTX, Wang was a somewhat reclusive figure, per reports. Fraud charges and guilty pleaUnlike his cofounder, Wang has largely disappeared from view since he was fired from FTX after the company's implosion. "All of the sudden that snapped into he was leaving that day, back to the US and implicitly mostly stopped working," Bankman-Fried told the news outlet.

☆ Read the CFTC complaint against FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried and his associates Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The CFTC filed fraud charges against Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang on Wednesday. Bankman-Fried, who cofounded FTX and Alameda, was arrested in the Bahamas last week and extradited to the US on Wednesday. The amended complaint charges Ellison with fraud and material misrepresentations and Wang with fraud. The CFTC said Ellison and Wang didn't contest their liability on its claims. On Wednesday the Securities and Exchange Commission also charged Ellison and Wang with participating in a scheme to defraud both FTX's equity investors and its customers.

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