Sam Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison faced the disgraced crypto titan in court on Tuesday, matter-of-factly telling jurors that he is to blame for deciding to steal billions in funds from clients of FTX.
“He ordered me to commit these crimes,” Ellison said in Manhattan federal court, during his highly anticipated testimony in a trial in which Bankman-Fried faces criminal fraud charges stemming from the November 2022 disappearance of $8 billion. dollars from its now bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange.
Ellison, 28, also set the record straight about why she ended her on-off romance with the fallen crypto king, 31, accusing him of being emotionally distant and not devoting enough attention to their relationship during their time together in a $35 apartment. Million penthouses in Bahamas.
“There was an overall theme that I wanted more from our relationship,” Ellison told the jury. “I kind of felt like he was distant or he wasn’t paying attention to me.”
The former CEO of Alameda Research and Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend acts as prosecutors’ star witness.REUTERS
The Stanford-educated math genius revealed that the couple first slept together in the fall of 2018 and dated for about a year, from summer 2020 to summer 2021.
Throughout the relationship, Bankman-Fried “was also my boss at work, which created some awkward situations,” Ellison testified.
Bankman-Fried, who was prone to crunching numbers in all aspects of his life, bizarrely boasted as they left that there was a “five percent chance he would one day become president,” Ellison told the court.
Caroline Ellison leaves Manhattan federal court on Tuesday. AP The Stanford-educated math genius revealed that the couple first slept together in the fall of 2018 and dated for about a year, from summer 2020 to summer 2021.ZUMAPRESS.com With thin rectangular glasses , a mauve dress and a gray jacket, Ellison did not make eye contact with her former love as she entered the crowded federal courtroom in Lower Manhattan shortly before 1 pmZUMAPRESS.com
“President of what?” asked federal prosecutor Danielle Sassoon.
“United States,” Ellison responded.
Wearing thin rectangular glasses, a mauve dress and a gray jacket, Ellison did not make eye contact with her former love as she entered the packed federal courtroom in Lower Manhattan shortly before 1 p.m.
When asked by Sassoon how he knew the former golden boy of cryptocurrencies, Ellison said they “dated for a couple of years,” later specifying that the relationship developed on and off between the summer of 2020 and the spring of 2022.
Ellison was then asked if she had committed crimes as CEO of Bankman-Fried’s Alameda crypto hedge fund, which the feds say stole $8 billion in deposits from FTX users to pay off lenders.
Ellison leaves court after testifying Tuesday.AP
“Yes,” said Ellison, who pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme and is testifying in hopes of receiving a more lenient sentence.
Sassoon asked Ellison to describe Bankman-Fried’s involvement in the alleged scheme.
“He was originally the CEO of Alameda, and then the owner of Alameda, and he ordered me to commit these crimes,” said Ellison, who spoke slowly and clearly during most of his testimony.
Despite their whirlwind romance, Ellison testified that Bankman-Fried did not increase her $200,000 base salary after naming her to lead Alameda as co-CEO in October 2021, while the couple was on a “break,” Ellison said.
Ellison received a bonus worth $20 million while running the fund, he testified. But that sum is far less than what Bankman-Fried paid himself and FTX co-founder Gary Wang during the same period.
Caroline Ellison said her relationship with Sam Bankman-Fried ended because he didn’t give her enough attention.Brigitte Stelzer
Bankman-Fried also denied Ellison’s request to own a portion of Alameda even after she took over as sole CEO, and continued to call the shots on the fund’s big decisions, including the use of FTX client funds without reveal it, he testified.
“I handled the day-to-day decisions, but for any major decisions, it was always up to Sam,” Ellison said.
At first, Ellison had some trouble identifying Bankman-Fried, who changed his signature outfit of T-shirt and cargo shorts for a suit and his unruly hairstyle for a new, shorter one.
But after getting up from the witness chair and looking around for a full minute, she finally made out her ex-boyfriend sitting with his lawyers at the defense table.
“He’s there, dressed in a suit,” she said, waving her hand at her former lover.
Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman, parents of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, leave Manhattan federal court on Tuesday. AP Bankman-Fried and Ellison lived together with other roommates in a $35 million penthouse in the Bahamas.
Ellison walked past Bankman-Fried on his way out of the courtroom for lunch and the end of the day on Tuesday.
On both occasions, Bankman-Fried looked straight ahead and did not make eye contact with her.
Ellison is just the latest former FTX member to testify against Bankman-Fried.
Ellison pleaded guilty to fraud and is testifying in hopes of receiving a more lenient sentence. Alameda Research
Wang, who also pleaded guilty to fraud charges and is cooperating with the feds, has already testified that Bankman-Fried ordered him to write computer code that would allow Alameda to withdraw “unlimited” funds from FTX users, leaving the consumers in the dark.
Adam Yedidia, a former FTX developer, told jurors that he quit the company, days after texting his former boss, “I love you, Sam,” when he discovered the company was paying its creditors using customer deposits. .
“What Alameda did seemed like something that was blatantly wrong,” Yedidia testified.
Ellison is expected to resume testimony Wednesday morning.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn