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Star witness Caroline Ellison says FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried hoped to be US president someday

Star witness Caroline Ellison says FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried hoped to be US president someday
We now are learning via time. Uh some new reporting out yesterday that particularly important figures who frankly helped pave the way for the entire FTX fraud, uh were informed about specific allegations against Sam Bateman Fried way back in April of 2018 and they helped shove it under the rug and in turn made it possible for Sam to continue growing his fraud. And the cap to all of this is that these same people wound up benefiting from having covered for Sam early on because they got funding through FTX. Um Specifically the article from time frankly, I think the headline undersells it. Um four top Alameda executives in 2018 started organizing *** meeting to confront Stan Beman Fried with uh misdeeds he had already committed by that point including sleeping with subordinates allegedly. Um and falsely claiming that he was the sole owner of Alameda in filing documents, pushing out other owners. Uh So this is not just somebody got told that uh in vague terms, Sam Ban and Fried was *** bad guy. This was *** corporate attempt at Alameda to get rid of him early on because of his uh bad actions. Uh and William mccaskill, the Oxford philosopher, who's one of the heads of the effective altruism movement uh apparently threatened people allegedly who were advancing these claims and his name was used to bully them into silence because he was *** supporter of Beman Fried. Um So we really have what looks to me like *** pretty clear elite conspiracy led by figures at Oxford um to backstop bank and Fried. Sorry, that's *** lot to explain. But I want to make sure people understand just how serious and specific this is. Uh Adam, you're giving me the most shocked responses in the camera. So I'm gonna throw it to you. Yeah, I mean, I think that what we've seen with the crypto sector at numerous points is that there are significant opportunities for charismatic sociopaths who are willing to say and do whatever it takes in order to achieve their aims, the fact that they can then find themselves surrounded by people who are essentially in on it and at least complicit because they continue to benefit from it. That strikes me as being entirely consistent both with the world of Cryptocurrency and the broader sort of financial world at large. Again, like we kind of look at, you know, like the amount of money that *** person has as like *** score in *** video game or it's like the higher your number, the smarter you are, right? And so then once you have that high number, then it's just sort of assumed that we are someone who's smart, who clearly has figured out how to make it. Ergo. You are somebody who should be influential and it's kind of this backdoor way. Uh, you know, of somebody who doesn't really matter but is willing to cheat and do whatever it takes to get that score up to then matter. You can look at politicians and see the same thing. Many of them go in without really much money to their name and they'll come out 10 or 15 years later as some of the richest people in the country. It's not because of what they're getting paid. There's something else that's going on there. But this again is unfortunate but seems entirely consistent. And once again is *** reminder that to the extent that you find yourself in the company of charismatic sociopaths who seem like they're willing to do whatever it takes in order to get what they want, that may have some short term advantages for you, but probably it's not *** good long term decision. Zach, kick it over to you. I think I just jump in because it's so ironic. Sorry. It's so ironic that you make the point that this is not *** long term good decision and the entire point of effective altruism is to think about the far future instead of the present. Sorry, I just wanted to flag that fig leaf. I mean, like if you're gonna, if you're gonna go all in on this type of thing. Why wouldn't you use the most? Absolutely galling, you know, like hypocritical way to possibly do it. Right. Like that's the joke of the whole thing anyway. Sorry Zach, over to you. I was gonna say, like, I think the E *** as sort of this undergirding idea of the whole FTX Empire was really key to its ascent, right? I think crypto is often sort of accused of being nihilistic, right? It doesn't really mean anything. Most of these coins don't really mean anything. Uh The real world impact to date is fairly limited. And yet there are these atrocious sums of money being reaped in by many people every single day. So to have uh e *** sort of uh giving *** *** moral backbone in this instance to the ascent of the FTX story and then seeing it sort of uh you know, all blow up in their faces really uh uh with all these revelations that have come to light with Sam Magma Fried, who had become in the popular imagination, sort of the figurehead of this movement, despite some of the earlier work that had been put in by these actual scholars, I mean, the the whole thing just adds to another sort of degree of richness to the rise and fall that is captured in the SV FX TX and FTX Saga, right? So this whole thing I think um it is important to understand because E *** did sort of provide that intellectual veneer to FTX and specifically Alameda, which was, hey, we're making as much money as possible. Oh, wait, no, there is this sort of moral imperative buried underneath underneath it. It's called E *** learn about it. Right. And it is kind of, uh, disheartening and *** bit, um, uh, uh, *** bit sad honestly, that, that was, uh, one of the many lies that are alleged to have taken place over the years with SPF and FTX was that there was some moral core when the more we learn, the more it suggests that's not the case, David, I do. Yeah. And, and to, to remind people who might have missed it or forgotten at this point, there was also the infamous uh Twitter DM exchange with *** reporter, I believe from Motherboard Vice, uh where uh Bank and Freed essentially admitted that the entire effective altruism thing was designed to distract people. Um And also in the news in the past couple of days to add to this, we learned that Beman Fried and I didn't see specifics about, you know, what the line items were, how much of this was salary and how much might have been other things, but he was paid uh $2.2 billion by uh FTX. Uh and, and that's come out in the bankruptcy process which remember again, you have to like, keep these numbers in mind to, to remember exactly how insane. The the behavior was um the entire market cap of FTX at its peak and correct me if I'm missing this. But I believe it was $10 billion. That was the enterprise value total of FTX. And so not only did he get paid this 2.2 billion, that was like *** quarter of the entire value of the supposed company. But he had also taken loans of multiple billions of dollars. So this was all just rampant extraction from the company going on right under the noses of *** board that didn't exist because the venture capitalists decided that this guy didn't need any oversight. So, you know, when you start talking, there's just like so much bad behavior going on everywhere. Uh But anyway, Adam taught me before I kill again. Well, I mean, the thing that I'm most curious about at this point honestly is like we are hearing so many allegations, I really, really, really want to watch this go to court. I really, really want to see kind of this before *** jury with evidence presented in ways that it can actually be validated or not because as it stands right now, I, I don't know what to believe about all of this stuff. All I know is that there is *** gigantic mess there with some degree of what appears to be fraud. Uh you know, but outside of that, everything is just kind of like he said, she said between the new management and the old management. So, again, like that October case date, man, I'm really, really looking forward to that and thinking that that's gonna be, that's gonna be full of fireworks. But I think we can in June, I'm getting in shape. I'm getting ready. Exactly. Exactly.
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Star witness Caroline Ellison says FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried hoped to be US president someday
Caroline Ellison, the tech executive who ran Sam Bankman-Fried's hedge fund while sometimes dating him, testified Tuesday that he directed her to commit crimes before his cryptocurrency empire collapsed last November. She also revealed that her former boss thought he might be U.S. president someday.Related video above: Earlier red flags and warnings about Sam Bankman-FriedWith Bankman-Fried watching from his courtroom seat, Ellison, 28, said at the New York City trial that she committed fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering with Bankman-Fried and others as they stole from customers and investors in FTX, a company Bankman-Fried started, and lenders to his hedge fund, Alameda Research."He directed me to commit these crimes," she said of Bankman-Fried.Repeatedly, Ellison made clear that Bankman-Fried was behind the biggest financial moves in his companies, to the point that bitcoins he created were sometimes called "Sam's coins."She described him as "very ambitious" and envisioned eventually leading huge companies and using his money influentially, especially in politics.He even thought there was a 5% chance he'd become president someday, Ellison said."When you say president, what are you referring to?" asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon."Of the United States," Ellison answered.Shortly after Ellison's highly anticipated turn on the witness stand began, she was asked to identify Bankman-Fried in the courtroom. The bespectacled Ellison stood and scanned the courtroom for a long minute, at first unable to spot him, before gesturing his way with a flip of her hand and saying he was "over there wearing a suit."The appearance of Bankman-Fried, who sat with his lawyers, has changed dramatically recently as he has lost weight and trimmed his well-known wild coif into a tightly cropped look more traditional among financial professionals.Bankman-Fried, 31, could face decades in prison if he is convicted of charges lodged against him when he was brought to the United States from the Bahamas last December. He has pleaded not guilty.Bankman-Fried was one of the world's wealthiest people on paper, with an estimated net worth of $32 billion when his cryptocurrency businesses collapsed as investors and customers sought to empty their accounts last November. Bankruptcy proceedings followed as prosecutors alleged that stolen funds were used to fund his businesses, make donations and contribute to political campaigns in the hopes of influencing cryptocurrency regulation in Washington.Ellison testified under a cooperation deal that could win her leniency at sentencing. It could also be pivotal when the jury decides Bankman-Fried's fate on the seven counts he faces.Bankman-Fried has been jailed since August when Judge Lewis A. Kaplan concluded he'd tried to influence Ellison and other potential trial witnesses and could no longer be trusted to await trial under a $250 million bond and confinement to his parent's Palo Alto, California, home.As Ellison testified, several of her friends or online fans were in attendance. In an overflow courtroom where spectators could watch on a television monitor, some of them, smiles on their faces, rushed toward a screen to see her up close.Ellison, a Stanford University graduate who majored in math, met Bankman-Fried while working as an intern at the investment firm Jane Street before joining his company soon after he formed Alameda Research in 2017.She said she discovered that the company was "in much worse shape than I realized," a place suffering large losses with lenders pulling out a lot of their money and over half the staff quit.Ellison said she asked Bankman-Fried why he had not warned her and he "apologized and he said that he hadn't known how to tell me."Ellison seemed composed throughout the testimony, even when it touched on her romantic relationship with Bankman-Fried. By fall 2018, soon after she joined Alameda, "we started sleeping together on and off," she said. By summer 2020, they were in a romantic relationship that they kept secret, she added.By summer 2021, they had broken up, but they resumed the relationship in fall 2021, letting people know this time, before splitting for good in spring 2022, she said.Eventually, Bankman-Fried installed Ellison as chief executive at Alameda, where she was paid $200,000 in salary. Her biggest bonus of $20 million came in 2021.Ellison said Bankman-Fried set up systems that enabled Alameda to withdraw unlimited sums of money from FTX accounts and he "directed us to take FTX money to repay our loans."She said Alameda eventually withdrew up to $14 billion from FTX, although some were paid back.Some money, she said, went to political donations, including $35 million funneled through one political operative to Republican candidates and another $10 million that Bankman-Fried steered to President Joe Biden, money that she said Bankman-Fried thought bought him a measure of influence and recognition.Ellison's testimony immediately followed testimony over three days from Gary Wang, an FTX cofounder and another key figure in Bankman-Fried's inner circle. He also testified under a plea agreement with prosecutors that he was directed by the defendant to set up software loopholes that allowed Alameda to drain FTX accounts of unlimited funds.

Caroline Ellison, the tech executive who ran Sam Bankman-Fried's hedge fund while sometimes dating him, testified Tuesday that he directed her to commit crimes before his cryptocurrency empire collapsed last November. She also revealed that her former boss thought he might be U.S. president someday.

Related video above: Earlier red flags and warnings about Sam Bankman-Fried

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With Bankman-Fried watching from his courtroom seat, Ellison, 28, said at the New York City trial that she committed fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering with Bankman-Fried and others as they stole from customers and investors in FTX, a company Bankman-Fried started, and lenders to his hedge fund, Alameda Research.

"He directed me to commit these crimes," she said of Bankman-Fried.

Repeatedly, Ellison made clear that Bankman-Fried was behind the biggest financial moves in his companies, to the point that bitcoins he created were sometimes called "Sam's coins."

She described him as "very ambitious" and envisioned eventually leading huge companies and using his money influentially, especially in politics.

He even thought there was a 5% chance he'd become president someday, Ellison said.

"When you say president, what are you referring to?" asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon.

"Of the United States," Ellison answered.

Shortly after Ellison's highly anticipated turn on the witness stand began, she was asked to identify Bankman-Fried in the courtroom. The bespectacled Ellison stood and scanned the courtroom for a long minute, at first unable to spot him, before gesturing his way with a flip of her hand and saying he was "over there wearing a suit."

The appearance of Bankman-Fried, who sat with his lawyers, has changed dramatically recently as he has lost weight and trimmed his well-known wild coif into a tightly cropped look more traditional among financial professionals.

Bankman-Fried, 31, could face decades in prison if he is convicted of charges lodged against him when he was brought to the United States from the Bahamas last December. He has pleaded not guilty.

Bankman-Fried was one of the world's wealthiest people on paper, with an estimated net worth of $32 billion when his cryptocurrency businesses collapsed as investors and customers sought to empty their accounts last November. Bankruptcy proceedings followed as prosecutors alleged that stolen funds were used to fund his businesses, make donations and contribute to political campaigns in the hopes of influencing cryptocurrency regulation in Washington.

Ellison testified under a cooperation deal that could win her leniency at sentencing. It could also be pivotal when the jury decides Bankman-Fried's fate on the seven counts he faces.

Bankman-Fried has been jailed since August when Judge Lewis A. Kaplan concluded he'd tried to influence Ellison and other potential trial witnesses and could no longer be trusted to await trial under a $250 million bond and confinement to his parent's Palo Alto, California, home.

As Ellison testified, several of her friends or online fans were in attendance. In an overflow courtroom where spectators could watch on a television monitor, some of them, smiles on their faces, rushed toward a screen to see her up close.

Ellison, a Stanford University graduate who majored in math, met Bankman-Fried while working as an intern at the investment firm Jane Street before joining his company soon after he formed Alameda Research in 2017.

She said she discovered that the company was "in much worse shape than I realized," a place suffering large losses with lenders pulling out a lot of their money and over half the staff quit.

Ellison said she asked Bankman-Fried why he had not warned her and he "apologized and he said that he hadn't known how to tell me."

Ellison seemed composed throughout the testimony, even when it touched on her romantic relationship with Bankman-Fried. By fall 2018, soon after she joined Alameda, "we started sleeping together on and off," she said. By summer 2020, they were in a romantic relationship that they kept secret, she added.

By summer 2021, they had broken up, but they resumed the relationship in fall 2021, letting people know this time, before splitting for good in spring 2022, she said.

Eventually, Bankman-Fried installed Ellison as chief executive at Alameda, where she was paid $200,000 in salary. Her biggest bonus of $20 million came in 2021.

Ellison said Bankman-Fried set up systems that enabled Alameda to withdraw unlimited sums of money from FTX accounts and he "directed us to take FTX money to repay our loans."

She said Alameda eventually withdrew up to $14 billion from FTX, although some were paid back.

Some money, she said, went to political donations, including $35 million funneled through one political operative to Republican candidates and another $10 million that Bankman-Fried steered to President Joe Biden, money that she said Bankman-Fried thought bought him a measure of influence and recognition.

Ellison's testimony immediately followed testimony over three days from Gary Wang, an FTX cofounder and another key figure in Bankman-Fried's inner circle. He also testified under a plea agreement with prosecutors that he was directed by the defendant to set up software loopholes that allowed Alameda to drain FTX accounts of unlimited funds.