DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Verdict reached in Sam Bankman-Fried fraud trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty on Thursday for his role in the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Bankman-Fried looked sunken as the verdict was read out. Bankman-Fried was found guilty of stealing billions of dollars from accounts belonging to customers of his once-high-flying crypto exchange FTX. During his trial, Bankman-Fried said he learned in 2020 that FTX customer funds were held by Alameda but he did not take action to safeguard them. But, unlike bank customers, FTX depositors had no federal insurance fund to compensate them when the cash dried up.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Joe Bankman, Barbara Fried, Bernie Madoff’s, FTX, Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Wang, Singh Organizations: New, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Bankman, Miami, Chief Locations: New York, Alameda, FTX, Bahamas

☆ Jury Begins Deliberations for a Verdict in Sam Bankman-Fried’s Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( J. Edward Moreno | More About J. Edward Moreno | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Jurors have sat through his trial for nearly a month now, hearing from witnesses including some of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s closest associates, who placed blame squarely on him. On Wednesday, closing arguments were made by a federal prosecutor, Nicolas Roos, and Mr. Bankman-Fried’s lawyer, Mark Cohen. In his closing statements, Mr. Roos reminded the jury of the evidence and testimony from witnesses who said Mr. Bankman-Fried had directed them to commit crimes. Mr. Cohen sought to portray his client as someone who acted in good faith but made mistakes. He has held the trial on some Fridays, which the jury usually has off, and has been willing to hold jurors past 4:30 p.m., when they are usually relieved.

Persons: Bankman, Nicolas Roos, Mark Cohen, Danielle Sassoon, Cohen’s, Roos, Fried, Cohen, Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, Judge Kaplan

☆ Sam Bankman Fried’s fate is now officially in the hands of 12 jurors
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Sam Bankman-Fried’s fate is now officially in the hands of a jury of his peers. Chief among those errors, according to his own testimony, was was not hiring a dedicated risk management team. “I made a number of small mistakes and a number of larger mistakes,” Bankman-Fried said on the stand last week. Although Bankman-Fried made mistakes, he never defrauded anyone, Cohen told jurors. “Poor risk management is not a crime.”Bankman-Fried’s parents, Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman, were both in the courtroom again Thursday.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Fried, ”, They’ve, “, Danielle Sassoon, Mark Cohen, Cohen, ” Cohen, Barbara Fried, Joseph Bankman, Bankman, — Sabrina Souza Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research Locations: New York, Manhattan, FTX, Alameda

☆ Inside the early-morning line to see Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( David Yaffe-Bellany | More About David Yaffe-Bellany | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal fraud trial was not the only high-stakes struggle that unfolded this past month at the federal courthouse in Manhattan. Over five weeks, the trial — with its mix of cryptocurrency intrigue and tabloid-worthy romance — attracted an unusually varied crew of reporters, crypto YouTubers, documentary filmmakers and aspiring influencers. Everyone wanted to sit in the gallery to see Mr. Bankman-Fried in the flesh. If someone lined up outside at 5 a.m., someone else would try to make it by 4 a.m. the next day. The following evening, a freelance journalist showed up just after 10:30 p.m. and huddled in the chill until the courthouse doors opened nine hours later.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried Locations: Manhattan, London, New York

The witnesses 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. But Mr. Sun, who testified after securing an agreement that prosecutors would not pursue charges against him, said he had once again told Mr. Bankman-Fried that none of those options were supported “by the facts.” Mr. Bankman-Fried responded by saying “something like, ‘Got it,’” Mr. Sun testified.

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

☆ Silicon Valley Shrugs Off Sam Bankman-Fried’s Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Erin Griffith | More About Erin Griffith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the four weeks that Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, was on trial on fraud charges, the tech industry:Reacted to the war in Israel and Gaza, including protesting a tech conference organizer’s social media posts about the conflict. Buzzed over a manifesto from a top venture capitalist outlining a list of enemies to technological progress. Scrambled to invest money in the hottest artificial intelligence company, OpenAI, at triple its valuation earlier this year. Hotly debated the new features on Threads, a social media site owned by Meta. But a simpler answer could be that the tech industry has again done what it does best: move on to the next thing.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bankman Organizations: Meta Locations: Israel, Gaza, FTX

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried’s Wild Rise and Abrupt Crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( David Streitfeld | More About David Streitfeld | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

If they get insanely rich in the process, well, that only proves how great their idea was in the first place. (The truth was that her technology didn’t work and placed customers at risk by giving them unreliable results.) He calculated the odds on everything — he thought there was a 5 percent chance he would become president of the United States. He figured he would help humanity by making a fortune and then giving it all away, a philosophy known as effective altruism. He never did much to disguise the fact that he lived with some of his FTX pals in a $35 million penthouse.

Persons: Elizabeth Holmes, Florence Nightingale, FTX, Fried, “ Organizations: Forbes Locations: United States

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried’s Lawyers Seek to Regain Ground in FTX Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Corinne Ramey | James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried said repeatedly from the witness stand that he couldn’t recall many of his past statements. Photo: jane rosenberg/ReutersSam Bankman-Fried ’s lawyers rested their case Tuesday after seeking to rehabilitate the FTX founder’s credibility from the prosecutors’ two-day grilling. Bankman-Fried, dressed in a gray suit, floundered through the end of Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon’s cross-examination.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, jane rosenberg, Reuters Sam Bankman, Danielle Sassoon’s Organizations: Reuters, U.S

Sam Bankman Fried, the onetime cryptocurrency mogul, built his FTX crypto exchange into a “pyramid of deceit” resting on a “foundation of lies and false promises,” a federal prosecutor said in closing arguments on Wednesday at the criminal fraud trial. Over more than two hours in a Manhattan courtroom in the morning, Nicolas Roos, the prosecutor, used scathing language to paint Mr. Bankman-Fried as a liar and fraudster. And Mr. Bankman-Fried, who had testified during the trial in his own defense, had repeatedly dissembled and dodged questions, Mr. Roos said. Mr. Bankman-Fried “lied about big things and small things,” the prosecutor said, pointing out that the defendant said he “couldn’t recall” more than 140 times in response to questions on cross-examination. “It was uncomfortable to hear,” Mr. Roos said.

Persons: Sam Bankman Fried, ”, Nicolas Roos, Roos, dissembled, Fried “, “, Mr, Bankman Organizations: Mr Locations: Manhattan

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried ‘told you a story, and he lied to you,’ prosecutors tell the jury
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

US Assistant Attorney Nicholas Roos presented the government’s view that Bankman-Fried is guilty of stealing money and engaging his business partners in a cover-up. The fraud, according to the government, was happening behind the scenes, while Bankman-Fried’s other firm, Alameda Research, was secretly siphoning money from customer deposits. “The answer is clear: He took the money, he knew it was wrong, he did it anyway,” Roos said. Repeatedly, Bankman-Fried told reporters, customers, investors and lawmakers that customer deposits were safe. As Roos spoke to the jury, Bankman-Fried kept his eyes trained on his laptop, occasionally typing and scrolling.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Nicholas Roos, Fried, Roos, —, ’ Roos, “, ” Roos, ”, Fried “, FTX, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bankman, Alameda Research Locations: New York, FTX, Alameda

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried’s fourth day on the stand is not going well
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Sam Bankman-Fried is back in court Tuesday for a fourth day of testimony as his federal fraud trial continues. Bankman-Fried testified that he attended a dinner with the island nation’s prime minister, alongside former US president Bill Clinton and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. In November last year, after FTX had frozen customer withdrawals amid a liquidity crunch, Bankman-Fried offered to open up withdrawals for all Bahamian customers. Bankman-Fried testified he did open those withdrawals “for a short period.”Bankman-Fried also testified that he doesn’t recall ever directing Alameda employees not to spend the FTX customer deposits. ‘Uninvolved’ in AlamedaMark Cohen, Bankman-Fried’s lead attorney, gave him a chance Tuesday morning to clarify some of his testimony regarding the relationship between FTX and Alameda.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bankman, Fried, Danielle Sassoon, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, FTX, ”, Alameda Mark Cohen, SBF, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Bankman, Bahamian, Alameda Locations: New York, Bahamas, Alameda, FTX

The biggest involved Alameda Research, the sister hedge fund he controlled that’s at the heart of a collapse that has cost investors, business partners and customers billions. Under questioning, he conceded that he played a larger role at Alameda before it imploded. His decision to testify was long seen as risky, and that became clearer yesterday. The 31-year-old, who faces nearly a lifetime in prison on fraud and money-laundering charges, delivered curt “yep,” “no” and several “I’m not sure” responses, the latter drawing rebukes from the judge. The lead prosecutor used Bankman-Fried’s own words against him.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, curt “ yep, I’m, Danielle Sassoon, Antonin Scalia, Bankman Organizations: Alameda Research, Supreme, Twitter Locations: Alameda

“I’m not sure,” he responded over and over, as Ms. Sassoon asked about statements he had made when he was chief executive of FTX. Ms. Sassoon displayed statements that appeared to show Mr. Bankman-Fried saying one thing in public, then acting differently in private. Criminal defendants usually avoid testifying so that prosecutors don’t have a chance to question them. In December, federal prosecutors charged Mr. Bankman-Fried with orchestrating a sweeping scheme to steal as much as $10 billion from FTX’s customers. Mr. Bankman-Fried was also accused of creating a secret backdoor in FTX’s code that allowed Alameda to seize billions of dollars in customer funds.

Persons: “ I’m, ”, Sassoon, Bankman, Elizabeth Holmes, don’t, FTX, Fried Locations: Washington, Bahamas, Alameda

The witnesses have painted a portrait of Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, as a controlling boss who directed them to commit fraud. “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. But Mr. Sun, who testified after securing an agreement that prosecutors would not pursue charges against him, said he had once again told Mr. Bankman-Fried that none of those options were supported “by the facts.” Mr. Bankman-Fried responded by saying “something like, ‘Got it,’” Mr. Sun testified. 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.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: FTX Founder Testifies For Third Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

It's another big day at Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud trial. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that most of the FTX founder's proposed testimony on the involvement of FTX lawyers in his decisions and actions couldn’t be said in front of a jury. The ruling was a blow to Bankman-Fried, whose defense team had hoped to argue that the lawyers' involvement showed he was acting in good faith in circumstances that prosecutors have alleged were crimes. Bankman-Fried is on trial facing several fraud charges for his role in the collapse of his crypto exchange. Stay informed on Sam Bankman-Fried and the collapse of FTX:Video: Learn about Sam Bankman-Fried's testimonyMeet the main players in the FTX trialCatch up on what's happened so far in the trialListen to our special FTX trial podcast: The Trial of Crypto's Golden BoyRead how we got here and the charges facing Sam Bankman-Fried

Persons: Sam Bankman, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, founder's, couldn’t, Fried Organizations: District

☆ Takeaways from Sam Bankman-Fried’s second day in front of a jury
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Lucy Bayly | Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Prosecutors grilled former crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried on Monday as his criminal fraud trial entered its third week. The pace of withdrawals then increased further, with about $4 billion in net withdrawals the following day, or 100 times more than a typical day. A market downturn meant that assets associated with FTX’s sister company, the hedge fund Alameda Research, “declined massively in value,” he said. Ellison agreed Alameda should have been hedgedBankman-Fried on Monday recalled a conversation he had with Caroline Ellison, his ex-girlfriend and then-CEO of Alameda Research. “Do you recall saying FTX and Alameda acted separately?” Sassoon asked.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bernie Madoff, ”, Fried, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, FTX, “, SBF, Ellison, Caroline Ellison, Danielle Sassoon, ” Sassoon, “ I’m, Sassoon, ” SBF, What’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, “, PR Locations: New York, Alameda, Alameda . Alameda

New York CNN —Former crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried took the stand in front of a judge and jury last week in his criminal fraud trial. “I was kind of busy and lazy and didn’t bother getting a haircut for long periods of time,” Bankman-Fried said. Bankman-Fried is being accused of using this “back door” to transfer billions of dollars in FTX customer funds to Alameda. He initially thought FTX would failWhen Bankman-Fried and Gary Wang started FTX in 2019, there were already dozens of crypto exchanges. I’m not sure that I would quite answer yes to the question as you most recently phrased it.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, “, ”, we’ve, Caroline Ellison, Bankman, Mark Cohen, ” Cohen, Cohen, didn’t, FTX, Gary Wang, Binance, ” SBF, Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan interjected, Danielle Sassoon, I’m Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Miami Heat, American Airlines, FTX, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Kaseya Locations: New York, Bahamas, Alameda, Kansas City, Bankman, FTX

☆ The Shearing of Sam Bankman-Fried
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | More About Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Imagine if Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the crypto trading firm FTX and defendant in one of the largest financial fraud trials in history, was actually named Samson, rather than Samuel. Like the biblical character, Mr. Bankman-Fried’s symbolic shearing for his courtroom appearance may become a fabled reflection of promise brought low in the tales to come of our digital age. An apologia writ in hair about what happens when a muscular intellect is married to frail corporate governance. Everyone (or every juror) can see a hairdo and relate. Besides, from the beginning it was by Mr. Bankman-Fried’s hair that so many knew him.

Persons: Sam Bankman, FTX, Samson, Samuel, Bankman, Fried, Michael Lewis, “, Einstein Locations: Manhattan

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.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried set to take the stand in his fraud trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Cnn'S Allison Morrow | Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried attends as FBI agent Marc Troiano testifies as Bankman-Fried faces fraud charges over the collapse of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, at federal court in New York City, today. Jane Rosenberg/ReutersMost days, Sam Bankman-Fried gets up around 4 am to prep for his defense. Breakfast at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he’s been held since August, is served at 6 am. Bankman-Fried is also “friendly” with Genaro García Luna, the former head of Mexico’s FBI, who is awaiting sentencing for drug trafficking, this person said. When his trial began earlier this month, observers quickly noted changes to Bankman-Fried’s appearance.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Marc Troiano, Jane Rosenberg, he’s, Genaro García Luna Organizations: Metropolitan Detention, Southern, of, MDC, CNN, FBI Locations: New York City, Brooklyn, of New York, Honduras

The wait for Sam Bankman-Fried’s testimony will be a little longer. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is overseeing the disgraced crypto mogul’s federal criminal trial, sent jurors home on Thursday afternoon just before Mr. Bankman-Fried was expected to take the stand. Judge Kaplan opted instead for a hearing to discuss pending testimony from Mr. Bankman-Fried, who founded the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, with regard to his reliance on company lawyers in making decisions. The jury will return on Friday, when Mr. Bankman-Fried is expected to testify. Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, Fried, Judge Kaplan, FTX

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried on Trial: Big Moments So Far
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried will take the stand in his trial, his defense team has said. Some lawyers say that testifying may be the only chance for Bankman-Fried’s, who faces seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, to change the trial’s momentum.

Persons: Sam Bankman

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried built a career around big risks. Now he’s making his biggest wager yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has made a career out of risky bets that, for a while, paid off. Typically, defense attorneys advise their clients not to testify because it leaves them vulnerable to grilling by the prosecution. But at this point, Bankman-Fried doesn’t have much of a choice, legal experts say. Before his world came undone last year, Bankman-Fried was a rising star, even outside the insular world of crypto. It nonetheless helped to propel his star power and secure a $32 billion valuation for FTX.

Persons: New York CNN —, Sam Bankman, Fried, ”, Howard Fischer, Moses Singer, “, ” Fischer, Cory Booker, Caroline Ellison, Mary, — Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, SEC Locations: New York

Over the past three weeks, former employees and friends of Sam Bankman-Fried have testified that he orchestrated a scheme to misappropriate billions of dollars in customer money from his FTX cryptocurrency exchange, which collapsed last year. The witnesses have painted a portrait of Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, as a controlling boss who directed them to commit fraud. They said the FTX founder had known for months that the exchange had no way of paying back at least $8 billion in customer money that was used to buy lavish real estate, invest in other crypto companies, make campaign contributions and pay back lenders to a trading firm that Mr. Bankman-Fried also controlled. Here are highlights of the testimony from several prosecution witnesses — including Mr. Bankman-Fried’s employee and on-again, off-again girlfriend, Caroline Ellison — who have been central to the case:Adam YedidiaThe first prosecution witness was Adam Yedidia, a former FTX developer who was a close friend of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s and lived with him and other associates in the Bahamas. Mr. Yedidia, who has not been charged with any crimes and testified under immunity, said Mr. Bankman-Fried had known that FTX and Alameda Research, a sister crypto trading firm, were on thin ice.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bankman, Caroline Ellison —, Adam Yedidia, Mr, Yedidia Organizations: Alameda Research Locations: Bahamas

Search resuls for: "Fried’s"

25 mentions found