The Trial of Sam Bankman-Fried - Decrypt

How Sam Bankman-Fried Ended Up in Jail

The nature of Sam Bankman-Fried’s conduct at the helm of FTX will face intense scrutiny at trial, but his alleged behavior after stepping down is what ultimately earned him a spot at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn in August. A bail agreement meant Bankman-Fried was allowed to prepare his defense against criminal fraud charges under house arrest at his parents' California home. But the sudden change of scenery to a Brooklyn jail came at a crucial time, Kevin O’Brien of Ford O...

Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: All the Names You Need to Know

The ex-CEO and co-founder of the collapsed digital asset exchange and megabrand FTX Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial starts next week in New York's Southern District. Bankman-Fried will face seven criminal charges relating to his company last year blowing up in what James Bromley, counsel to FTX’s new management, described as the “one of the most abrupt and difficult collapses in the history of corporate America.” Although Bankman-Fried—also known as SBF—will be the star of the show, there's a whole h...

Judge Rules Sam Bankman-Fried Can’t Mention Effective Altruism or Jail Time in Court

During his criminal trial slated to start next week, FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried won’t be able to tell the jury about his charitable works or the time he spent behind bars since his bail was revoked, according to a judge’s order on Tuesday. Addressing a series of motions from federal prosecutors and the former crypto mogul’s counsel, Judge Lewis Kaplan effectively drew boundary lines for Bankman-Fried’s six-week shot at retribution following the collapse of FTX last year. Bankma...

Lawyers Again Urge Release for Sam Bankman-Fried Ahead of Trial Date

Sam Bankman-Fried's legal team is again urging for his temporary release, this time for the duration of his upcoming trial set to begin on October 3. In a letter sent on Monday to Judge Kaplan, the attorneys highlighted the necessity of their client’s release for the effective "preparation of [his] defense." Noting that “the Court has previously noted that it understands the difficulties of preparing a complex case for trial,” they explained that the limited access to the evidence allowed to the...

Sam Bankman-Fried. Image: Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Sam Bankman-Fried: 'There’s Nothing I Can Do to Make My Lifetime Impact Net Positive'

Disgraced 31-year-old former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried feels “broke” and “hated” and says there’s nothing he can do to change the public’s negative perception of him, according to 250 pages of writings penned since his house arrest in December. The manuscript was leaked to crypto journalist/YouTuber Tiffany Fong, who subsequently shared it with the New York Times, which then published some of the material this week. Bankman-Fried is in custody awaiting trial next month, having been charged wit...