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☆ 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 ,

"Assets were not fine, because FTX did not have enough assets for customer withdrawals." On Friday, Wang testified that on Nov. 6, 2022, FTX executive Nishad Singh knocked on his door and told him customers were trying to withdraw their money faster than FTX could process the transactions. He said no other FTX users had those special privileges, which the exchange did not disclose to its investors or customers. After FTX declared bankruptcy on Nov. 11, 2022, Wang testified that at Bankman-Fried's direction, he turned over some remaining FTX customer assets to the Bahamas, where FTX was based. Wang said Bankman-Fried said liquidators and regulators there were more amenable to letting him stay in charge of FTX.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Nicolas Roos, Gary Wang, Jane Rosenberg, FTX, Wang, FTX's, Nishad Singh, CoinDesk, Bankman, WANG, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Christian Everdell, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Mark Cohen, Sam, Jody Godoy, Luc Cohen, David Gregorio, Nick Zieminski, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, Federal Court, REUTERS, Alameda Research, Washington , D.C, District, Bankman, Thomson Locations: FTX, New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Washington ,, Alameda, Bahamas, Fried, United States, New York

☆ Sex, Signal messages and sabotage: SBF's top execs and Bahamas roommates tell all in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

"Sam Bankman-Fried," he said. Wang said that in response to the reporting an emergency meeting was called between Bankman-Fried, Wang and Singh, to discuss shutting down Alameda. On Nov. 12, after FTX declared bankruptcy, Bankman-Fried asked Wang to drive with him to the Bahamas Securities Commission for a meeting. Yedidia said Bankman-Fried had told him, before he began working in the Bahamas in 2019, that he and Ellison had sex. Bankman-Fried asked Yedidia if it was a good idea for them to date, to which Yedidia said no.

Persons: Adam Yedidia, Sam Bankman, Jane Rosenberg, —, Gary Wang, Nicolas Roos, Wang, FTX, Nishad Singh, Caroline Ellison, Mr, Roos, Ellison, Fried, Reuters Wang, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Singh, Yedidia, Bankman, Sam, Christian Everdell, he's, I'm, Matt Huang, Yuki Iwamura, Huang, Dawn Giel Organizations: Federal Court, Reuters, MIT, U.S, Alameda Research, District, Prosecutors, Bahamas Securities Commission, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Google, Alameda, United, Paradigm, FTX, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: FTX, New York City, Bahamas, Manhattan, U.S, Alameda, Bahamian, New York, China, Minnesota, FTX's Hong Kong, Nassau, Bankman

☆ The same day SBF promised his hedge fund wasn't getting special treatment, FTX gave it an unlimited line of credit — which other customers didn't get
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The same day, the FTX rolled out a feature allowing Alameda to get an unlimited line of credit. Those other accounts signed a line of credit agreement, but Alameda was never required to sign such an agreement, Wang testified. He increased Alameda's line of credit incrementally to a few million, a few hundred million, a billion, and eventually tens of billions. At some point in late 2019 or early 2020, Wang checked Alameda's balance and noticed it was negative. Even doing so, Wang said Alameda's balance was still negative, meaning the money was coming from FTX customers.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, —, FTX, Gary Wang, SBF, Wang, Nishad Singh, Bankman, Caroline Ellison, Sam, FTX's, Adam Yedidia, Yedidia Organizations: Alameda Research, Service, Twitter, Alameda Locations: Alameda, FTX, Manhattan, Bankman, FTT

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried wanted to invest up to $1 billion in Elon Musk's Twitter despite other execs' advice, and didn't know if he still owned shares after the takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk asked SBF if he wanted to help his $44 billion Twitter takeover, per Michael Lewis' biography. Bankman-Fried owned around $100 million of Twitter stock before Musk took the company private. AdvertisementAdvertisementSam Bankman-Fried didn't know whether he still owned shares in Twitter as Elon Musk took over the platform last year, according to Michael Lewis' biography of the FTX founder. According to Lewis, Bankman-Fried suggested investing between $250 million and $1 billion in Twitter. Singh and Arora said that FTX shouldn't invest in Musk's Twitter, or only go with a small stake.

Persons: Elon Musk, Michael Lewis, Musk, —, Sam Bankman, Fried, Nishad Singh, Ramnik Arora, Lewis, Singh, who's, Arora, Morgan Stanley —, Semafor, SBF, FTX Organizations: Twitter, Service, Elon, Fried's

NEW YORK (AP) — Prosecutors went to the heart of their case against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried on Thursday as the company's co-founder began his testimony, telling a New York jury that he and Bankman-Fried committed financial crimes and lied to the public before the cryptocurrency trading platform collapsed last year. Bankman-Fried, 31, who has been jailed since August, was brought to the United States from the Bahamas last December after he was charged in Manhattan federal court. Defense lawyers say Bankman-Fried had no criminal intent as he took actions to try to save his businesses after the cryptocurrency market collapsed. The others are Carolyn Ellison, Alameda Research's former chief executive and a former girlfriend of Bankman-Fried, and Nishad Singh, the former engineering director at FTX. He said he lived with Bankman-Fried and other top executives in June or July of 2022 when he told Bankman-Fried one day that he was concerned that Alameda owed FTX a large debt.

Persons: — Prosecutors, Sam Bankman, Fried, Gary Wang, Fried's, Wang, FTX “, ” Wang, Lewis A, Kaplan, Carolyn Ellison, Nishad Singh, Adam Yedidia, Bankman, “ Sam, ” Organizations: —, New, Alameda Research, FTX, Bankman Locations: New York, Alameda, United States, Bahamas, Manhattan, Bankman, Fried, China, Minnesota, FTX

☆ Former FTX developer says he confronted an 'anxious' Sam Bankman-Fried on Bahamas paddleball court while trying to fix bug that led to $8 billion hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

"The numbers seemed large to me," Yedidia testified Thursday in a federal court in downtown Manhattan. In a hut between paddleball courts, Yedidia expressed his concern to Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of FTX, who also controlled Alameda Research. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Sam Bankman-Fried, founder and former CEO of crypto currency exchange FTX in a courtroom last year. AdvertisementAdvertisementFormer FTX developer Adam Yedidia leaves after testifying during the trial of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried at Manhattan Federal Court in New York City. In the Bahamas, top employees and their significant others in both companies shared a $35 million penthouse apartment that Alameda Research paid for.

Persons: Fried, Adam Yedidia, —, Yedidia, FTX, Sam Bankman, Yadidia, Bankman, Jane Rosenberg, Reuters Yedidia, Caroline Ellison, Michael M, Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Singh, Sam, Caroline, I'm Organizations: Alameda Research, Alameda, Service, MIT, rockstar, Reuters, Bankman, Manhattan Federal, FTX, United Arab Locations: Bahamas, Alameda, Manhattan, FTX, Alameda FTX, Bankman, New York City, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

NEW YORK, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's college roommate and ex-colleague, Gary Wang, testified on Thursday at the FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder's fraud trial that Bankman-Fried told him to give a hedge fund they co-owned special trading privileges on FTX. The special privileges granted to the hedge fund, Alameda Research, included a $65 billion line of credit, several orders of magnitude bigger than the amount other users were able to borrow, he said. He added that Bankman-Fried had directed him to implement the changes giving Alameda special privileges. Wang, 30, is the first of three former close associates of Bankman-Fried to testify at the trial, which began on Tuesday. Wang said Bankman-Fried decided to name the firm Alameda Research because it "makes it easier to do business if the name doesn't mention trading or cryptocurrency."

Persons: Sam Bankman, Gary Wang, Fried, Wang, FTX, FTX's, Mark Cohen, Matt Huang, Huang, Bankman, Nishad Singh, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Adam Yedidia, Yedidia, Sam, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Luc Cohen, Jody Godoy, Amy Stevens, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Alameda Research, Alameda, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Prosecutors, MIT, Stanford Law, Thomson Locations: Alameda, tatters, Manhattan, FTX, China, United States, Bahamas, Yedidia, New York

[1/2] Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrives at the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 4 (Reuters) - The jury for Sam Bankman-Fried's trial on charges of stealing billions of dollars from customers of his now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange was selected on Wednesday, paving the way for opening statements to start soon. Prosecutors and the defense are expected to lay out their cases shortly in opening statements. They are expected to call three former members of Bankman-Fried's inner circle - former Alameda chief executive Caroline Ellison and former FTX executives Nishad Singh and Gary Wang - to testify against him. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York Editing by Amy Stevens, Matthew Lewis and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, FTX, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Gabriel Bankman, Donald Trump, Anthony Scaramucci, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, Kaplan, Ellison, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Matthew Lewis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: FTX, United, REUTERS, District, Wednesday, Stanford Business School, North Railroad, Prosecutors, Stanford Law, U.S, Alameda Research, Alameda, Metropolitan Detention, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, York, Manhattan, Brooklyn, New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's trial to resume with jury selection, opening statements
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | 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: +2 min

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrives at the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's trial on charges of stealing billions of dollars from customers of his now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange is set to resume on Wednesday, with the judge aiming to finish selecting a jury and move on to opening statements. That would pave the way for prosecutors and the defense to proceed to opening statements, in which each side would lay out their case. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty and is likely to argue that while he failed to adequately manage risk, he did not steal money. Reuters GraphicsReporting by Luc Cohen in New York Editing by Amy Stevens and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr Alfiky, FTX, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, Kaplan, Ellison, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Matthew Lewis Organizations: United, REUTERS, District, Prosecutors, U.S, Alameda Research, Alameda, Metropolitan Detention, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Brooklyn, New York

REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's father and brother, as well as Donald Trump's former spokesman Anthony Scaramucci, are among possible witnesses at the cryptocurrency exchange founder's fraud trial, according to a list read by a prosecutor in court on Tuesday. There is no guarantee that Scaramucci, Bankman-Fried's father Joseph Bankman or his brother Gabriel Bankman-Fried will testify during the trial, which is expected to last six weeks and kicked off on Tuesday with jury selection. Prosecutor Danielle Sassoon read the list of dozens of names - which included both proposed prosecution and defense witnesses - to see if any prospective jurors knew them. Scaramucci's alternative investment firm SkyBridge Capital once owned a stake in FTX, Bankman-Fried's cryptocurrency exchange which declared bankruptcy in November 2022 amid a flurry of customer withdrawals. The now-bankrupt fund is fully owned by Bankman-Fried and former FTX executive Gary Wang, court filings show.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Christian Everdell, Jane Rosenberg, Donald Trump's, Anthony Scaramucci, Joseph Bankman, Gabriel Bankman, Danielle Sassoon, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, Kaplan, Gary Wang, Nicolas Roos, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Ellison, Jody Godoy, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Lincoln, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Federal Court, REUTERS, SkyBridge, Alameda Research, District, Insight Partners, Bankman, Manhattan U.S, Thomson Locations: FTX, New York City, U.S, Alameda, Alameda ., New York

☆ The $8 billion Sam Bankman-Fried criminal trial starts today — here's what's at stake and how we got here
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

In the first trial, Bankman-Fried faces seven criminal counts related to the collapse of the crypto empire he built, including wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering. Alameda, FTX and a host of subsidiaries Bankman-Fried founded filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware. FTX's own terms of use specifically forbade him, or Alameda, from using customer money for anything — unless the customer allowed it. And from FTX's inception, there was a lot of customer money. Bankman-Fried and other executives admitted to each other that "FTX customer funds were irrevocably lost because Alameda had appropriated them."

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Ellison, FTX, Wang, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Samuel Bankman, MacKenzie Sigalos, San Francisco —, SBF, Wang —, Nishad Singh —, Goldman Sachs, Binance, Damian Williams, Rehypothecation, —, Crypto, Solana, Zhao, he'd, Cromwell, John J, Ray, John Ray's, — CNBC's Rohan Goswami Organizations: Alameda Research, Southern, of, Stanford, MIT, U.S, New York Times, Bankman, That's, CNBC, Jane, Capital, University of California, Formula, Democratic, Twitter, Securities Exchange Commission, SEC, Futures Trading, United States Attorney's Office, CFTC, Alameda, Alameda didn't, Voyager, BlockFi, FTX, Industry, Investors, Zhao, Publicly, Sullivan, Enron Locations: Bahamas, Manhattan, New York, Alameda, of New York, FTX, Brooklyn , New York, San Francisco, South Korea, Alameda , California, Fried's Alameda, Berkeley, Miami, Washington, Delaware, California, Federal, Solana, Fried

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried case: The FTX criminal fraud trial begins today. Here's everything you need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal fraud trial begins in federal court today. According to prosecutors, Bankman-Fried commingled funds between FTX, where he was CEO, and Alameda Research, a hedge fund he also controlled. In the months since, prosecutors have brought several superseding indictments, slapping on more criminal charges. AP Photo/Mary AltafferIn addition to the criminal case against Bankman-Fried, the fallout of FTX's collapse has created a fountain of complicated lawsuits and legal maneuvers. The Securities and Exchange Commission has a civil case against Bankman-Fried alleging he "orchestrated a massive, years-long fraud."

Persons: Sam Bankman, SBF, —, FTX, Fried, Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, Stephen Curry, Naomi Osaka, Larry David, Kevin O'Leary, Caroline Ellison, He's, Michael Lewis, guarantors, Lewis Kaplan, Jane Rosenberg, Kaplan, Bankman, Ellison, messaged, Eduardo Munoz, Mark S, Cohen, Christian Everdell, Ghislaine Maxwell, Maxwell, They're, Danielle Sassoon, Nicholas Roos, who's, Joe Lewis, Jean Carroll, Donald Trump, Trump, Bill Clinton, Gambino, Prince Andrew, Mary Altaffer, SBF's, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Gary Wang —, Nishad Singh, Ryan Salame, Cohen wearily, there's Organizations: Prosecutors, Service, Alameda Research, Miami Heat's, The New York Times, Metropolitan Detention, US, Office, Southern, Bankman, Manhattan Federal Court, REUTERS, Washington , D.C, Supreme, AP, Securities, Exchange Commission, Stanford University Locations: FTX, Manhattan, America, Palo Alto , California, New York, Bahamas, Washington ,, Joaquín, Bankman, Guantanamo, Alameda

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 3 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial, which is set to kick off on Tuesday, marks the culmination of a yearlong legal saga stemming from the dramatic collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange he founded. Below is a timeline of key events leading up to the 31-year-old former billionaire's trial. MAY 2019Bankman-Fried and former Google employee Gary Wang found FTX as a new platform to trade crypto tokens and derivatives. Alameda gives crypto lender Voyager Digital a $200 million credit facility, and FTX gives lender BlockFi a $250 million loan. In a post-arrest blog post, Bankman-Fried denies stealing funds and blames FTX's collapse on a broader downturn in crypto markets.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Gary Wang, Larry David, Fried, CoinDesk, Binance, FTX, Changpeng Zhao, David, Tom Brady, Wang, Caroline Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Nishad Singh, Kaplan revokes, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jane Street Capital, Alameda Research, Google, Forbes, Alameda, NFL, DEC, U.S, District, New York Times, Metropolitan Detention Center, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, United States, Palo Alto , California

Companies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial got under way with jury selection on Tuesday, nearly a year after his now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange's collapse shocked markets and tattered his reputation. He was dressed in a suit and tie, with his once signature curly, unkempt hair cut into a neater trim. Bankman-Fried's is the highest profile case U.S. prosecutors have so far brought against a former cryptocurrency executive. Prosecutors say Bankman-Fried built that reputation on lies and bolstered it with endorsements from celebrities and star athletes. He will be brought to court early on most days to allow him to prepare with his lawyers.

Persons: Sam Bankman, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Bankman, Fried, Nicolas Roos, Mark Cohen, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Ellison, Jody Godoy, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Lincoln, Nick Zieminski Organizations: District, Alameda Research, Manhattan U.S, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, FTX, Alameda, New York

☆ What to Know About Sam Bankman-Fried’s Fraud Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( David Yaffe-Bellany | More About David Yaffe-Bellany | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Mr. Bankman-Fried oversaw two core businesses: FTX and a hedge fund called Alameda Research. Alameda was, at least in theory, simply a large customer of FTX that used the platform to trade digital currencies. But according to prosecutors, Mr. Bankman-Fried allowed Alameda to borrow a virtually limitless amount from FTX and then funneled much of that money into other projects. For example, regulators say, Alameda used customer funds to make large loans to FTX executives, who spent the money on political donations. Mr. Bankman-Fried faces an uphill battle in court.

Persons: Fried, FTX, —, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang —, Ryan Salame, Lewis A, Kaplan, Judge Kaplan Organizations: Alameda Research, Alameda Locations: FTX, United States, Alameda, Fried, Brooklyn

☆ FTX cofounder Gary Wang is set to testify against his childhood friend Sam Bankman-Fried. Here's what we know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | 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 . AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen Bankman-Fried cofounded Alameda Research in 2017, Wang reportedly left his role at Google. The tight group of executives reportedly included Wang, Bankman-Fried, Caroline Ellison, who was formerly Alameda's CEO, and Nishad Singh, FTX's former director of engineering. But at FTX, Wang was a somewhat reclusive figure, per reports. "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.

Persons: Gary Wang, Wang, Sam Bankman, —, Bankman, MIT Wang, Wang's, Cherry Hill, Hector, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, FTX's, Nishad, Gary, Singh, FTX, Ellison, Damian Williams, Ilan Graff, Sundar Organizations: Service, MIT, Bloomberg, Eastside, Epsilon Theta, Google, Forbes, Alameda Research, Court, District of, Sydney Morning Herald, Street Journal, Southern, of New York, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: Oregon, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, China, Bahamas, Alameda, District of Delaware, FTX

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 3 (Reuters) - Former FTX chief operating officer Constance Wang agreed to serve as a witness for U.S. prosecutors in their case against the crypto exchange's founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, according to Michael Lewis' new book on FTX's collapse. "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon" hit the shelves as Bankman-Fried's criminal trial began in Manhattan on Tuesday. While the U.S. prosecutors have said they plan to call a handful of Bankman-Fried's former inner circle to testify, Wang has not been named among them. Wang joined FTX in 2019 from rival crypto exchange Huobi as its eighth employee, and often accompanied Bankman-Fried to meetings in which Mandarin was spoken, Lewis said. Prosecutors have said they plan to call former Alameda chief executive Caroline Ellison, former FTX technology chief Gary Wang, and former engineering chief Nishad Singh to testify.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Andrew Kelly, Constance Wang, Michael Lewis, FTX, Fried, Wang, Lewis, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Hannah Lang, Luc Cohen, Michelle Price, Matthew Lewis Organizations: FTX, Manhattan, REUTERS, Alameda Research, U.S, Prosecutors, Alameda, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Bahamas, Caribbean, Washington, New York

Law Firms Michael R. Becker FollowNEW YORK, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried will likely defend himself at his fraud trial, due to begin on Tuesday, by arguing he did not think the use by his FTX cryptocurrency exchange of customer funds was improper and by challenging the credibility of those who say otherwise. He has long acknowledged failing to manage risk at FTX, but denied prosecutors' claims he stole billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits to plug Alameda's losses. In September court papers, Bankman-Fried's lawyers said he had a "good faith belief" that the manner in which FTX and Alameda handled customer funds was permissible. Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, arrives at court as lawyers push to persuade the judge overseeing his fraud case not to jail him ahead of trial, at a courthouse in New York, U.S., August 11, 2023. Prosecutors are seeking to play jurors a recording of an Alameda meeting in which Ellison told colleagues that Bankman-Fried approved the use of customer funds.

Persons: Michael R, Becker, Sam Bankman, Fried, FTX, Alameda, Jordan Estes, Estes, Kramer Levin, Eduardo Munoz, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Tim Howard, Freshfields, Ellison, Wang, Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Alameda Research, New York Times, REUTERS, U.S, Attorney's, District, Alameda, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn, Bankman, FTX, Alameda, New York, U.S, Manhattan

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried case: The FTX criminal fraud trial begins this week. Here's everything you need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal fraud trial begins in federal court on Tuesday. According to prosecutors, Bankman-Fried commingled funds between FTX, where he was CEO, and Alameda Research, a hedge fund he also controlled. In the months since, prosecutors have brought several superseding indictments, slapping on more criminal charges. AP Photo/Mary AltafferIn addition to the criminal case against Bankman-Fried, the fallout of FTX's collapse has created a fountain of complicated lawsuits and legal maneuvers. The Securities and Exchange Commission has a civil case against Bankman-Fried alleging he "orchestrated a massive, years-long fraud."

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried was playing a video game while being interviewed on live TV for the first time, author of FTX book says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly played a video game the first time he was interviewed on live TV. Author Michael Lewis said a clip showed SBF's eyes moving as he tried to win the game while on air. AdvertisementAdvertisementFTX cofounder Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly played a video game during his first appearance on live TV. It's because he's trying to win his video game at the same time he's on the air." AdvertisementAdvertisementThe incident is not the first time the former FTX CEO has been caught playing video games in professional settings.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Michael Lewis, —, Lewis, he's, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh Organizations: Service, CBS, League, Sequoia, Bankman, Alameda Research, Justice Department Locations: Sequoia Capital, FTX

☆ Bankman-Fried may face 'very long sentence' if convicted, judge says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | 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, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried, the indicted founder of now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, may face a "very long sentence" if convicted at his fraud trial starting next week, the judge overseeing the case said on Thursday. Kaplan said Bankman-Fried was a flight risk. "Your client in the event of conviction could be looking at a very long sentence," Kaplan said in a hearing in Manhattan federal court. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of fraud and conspiracy stemming from FTX's collapse in November 2022. Prosecutors say Bankman-Fried stole billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits to plug losses at Alameda Research, a crypto-focused hedge fund he controlled.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, District Judge Lewis Kaplan's, Kaplan, Bankman, Fried, Mark Cohen, FTX, Danielle Kudla, Palo, Caroline Ellison's, Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Luc Cohen, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, District, Metropolitan Detention, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Alameda, New York Times, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Bahamas, United States, Brooklyn, Palo Alto , California

☆ Who is Sam Bankman-Fried, the onetime crypto mogul set to testify in his own defense?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | 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: +6 min

NEW YORK, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A few years after graduating from college, Sam Bankman-Fried grew worried he was not taking enough risks. Two years after launching a hedge fund, Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried founded FTX, an exchange that let users buy and sell digital assets such as bitcoin. Based in the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried became known for his mop of unkempt curly hair and for wearing rumpled shorts, even when entertaining dignitaries like Bill Clinton. They contend the theft came to a head in 2022, when crypto prices swooned and he used FTX funds to plug losses at Alameda. Defense lawyers have argued that their cooperation agreements with prosecutors encourage them to implicate Bankman-Fried in the hopes of receiving lenient sentences.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bill Clinton, Tom Brady, Larry David, FTX, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Forbes, Bankman, Jane Street, Gary Wang, Ellison, Nishad Singh, Wang, Singh, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, FTX's, influencer, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Stanford Law School, Alameda Research, Forbes, Democratic, NFL, Alameda, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bankman, Prison, MIT, Jane, U.S, District, New York Times, Times, Thomson Locations: Bahamas, Manhattan, Alameda, United States, Asia, New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's trial to test dueling explanations for FTX’s collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | 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: +6 min

He plastered FTX's logo on a basketball arena in Miami and on MLB baseball umpires' uniforms. Prosecutors say Bankman-Fried directed Wang to change FTX's computer code to allow Alameda to borrow unlimited sums of money, a privilege other exchange users lacked. Bankman-Fried's defense lawyers have indicated in court papers that they plan to challenge the credibility of all three witnesses. "The question is, when did Bankman-Fried know that there wouldn't be enough money?" Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Amy Stevens and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Fried, Jane Street, FTX, Damian Williams, Forbes, Bankman, It's, Mark Kasten, Buchanan Ingersoll, Rooney, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Wang, Singh, Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Paul Tuchmann, Wiggin, Dana, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Wall, Alameda Research, MLB, Prosecutors, Attorney, Bankman, Alameda, District, New York Times, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Miami, Alameda, Bahamas

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's mom encouraged him to skirt donation rules and give millions to the PAC she chaired, lawsuit claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FTX lawyers are suing Sam Bankman-Fried's parents, saying they were wrongly paid millions. The lawsuit says SBF's mom encouraged him to avoid federal campaign finance disclosure rules. Lawyers handling the crypto exchange's bankruptcy case are suing Bankman-Fried's parents, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried, accusing them of siphoning millions of dollars from company funds. The lawsuit also accuses Fried of encouraging her son to "avoid (if not violate) federal campaign finance disclosure rules." Singh and Salame have pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bankman, Joe Bankman, Barbara Fried, Fried, —, Nishad Singh, Ryan Salame, Singh, Salame, Caroline, Sean Hecker, Michael Tremonte, Tremonte Organizations: Service, Lawyers, Democratic, Bankman, Forbes Locations: Wall, Silicon, Bahamas, Delaware

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