Sam Bankman-Fried’s former engineering guru Nishad Singh details his lavish Bahamas lifestyle where he had ‘the nicest room’ in the penthouse and reveals how A-listers including Tom Brady were used to boost FTX’s value

A former FTX executive and member of Sam Bankman-Fried’s inner circle faced cross-examination the day after claiming he was “intimidated” by the former cryptocurrency tycoon.

Nishad Singh is among the former top Bankman-Fried lieutenants taking the stand against the FTX founder in the $8 billion fraud trial.

Singh commented on the lavish lifestyles of FTX executives in the Bahamas at the height of their wealth, noting that he and his girlfriend Claire Watanabe lived in “the nicest room” in the sprawling $30 million property.

When asked if it seems excessive to live in such an expensive house, Singh said, “I really don’t know what’s reasonable for billionaires to do… I don’t know any other billionaires.”

Insiders, including his ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison, have alleged under oath that Bankman-Fried was the orchestrator of a multi-billion dollar scheme to siphon money from his clients for his lavish lifestyle and political donations. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty.

Singh’s testimony comes amid speculation about whether Bankman-Fried will testify in his own defense after his lawyers demanded more Adderall to help him focus and decide whether to take the stand.

After testifying Monday about lucrative deals FTX made with top players like Larry David and Tom Brady, Singh admitted under cross-examination that there could be benefits to the move.

“I believe it could be valuable to the company … depending on the circumstances,” he said, claiming it was Bankman-Fried who decided the deals. “I understood there were business benefits and costs involved.”

On Monday, Singh testified that FTX spent millions on celebrity partnerships, while prosecutors allege he squandered his client’s money to boost his own status.

When questioned Tuesday by Bankman-Fried attorney Mark Cohen, Singh was asked about Bankman-Fried’s extensive expenses that he had testified about the day before.

Cohen fought back against claims of Bankman-Fried’s “reckless spending,” saying he would show “that there was a lot more going on than we were told.”

FTX executives, including Ellison and another who would testify against Bankman-Fried, Gary Wang, were known to enjoy lavish lifestyles in the Bahamas as the exchange grew.

After Ellison previously testified about the company’s balance sheets, Cohen and Singh reportedly clashed over comments Singh had previously made about whether it “felt wrong” to borrow money.

According to BloombergSingh said he was talking about a specific conversation about a bank account. When Cohen asked him to read items from a spreadsheet, Judge Lewis Kaplan intervened and said, “We don’t do eye exams here.”

Bankman-Fried made a slew of political donations as FTX rose to prominence, enlisting his younger brother Gabe to provide millions to Washington heavyweights.

Singh was also reportedly at the forefront of the donations, but acknowledged on Tuesday that he was not “required” to take on the role.

To provide a glimpse into the inner workings of the exchange’s donations, a group chat in Signal was shown in which Singh told political consultant Michael Sadowsky that he wanted to avoid supporting “explicitly woke things.”

As speculation mounts about his possible testimony, Bankman-Fried has claimed he is not receiving enough Adderall from the New York Bureau of Prisons.

In a letter to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman-Fried’s attorneys said the one dose of Adderall the disgraced founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange is receiving is not enough.

They claimed that the single dose every morning, which treats his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, has worn off by the time the trial begins.

“As we approach the defense’s case and make the critical decision as to whether Mr. Bankman-Fried will testify, there is growing concern among the defense that Mr. Bankman-Fried’s lack of access to Adderall has prevented him from concentrating on the level at which he has been able to concentrate. would normally do,” his lawyers wrote.

In preparing for his possible testimony, he has also been taking notes and speaking with his lawyers as his former top lieutenants took the stand.

But with the Bankman-Fried trial nearing the expected midpoint, legal experts told the newspaper WashingtonPost he faces an uphill battle to fight the 13 fraud charges against him.

“The case has proven to be not only as strong as expected, but even stronger,” said Samuel Buell, a former federal prosecutor and law professor at Duke University, noting the testimony and images from the inner circle. presented by prosecutors thus far.

“Defense attorneys cannot make strong evidence disappear. I don’t know where they’re going,” he added. Bankman-Fried’s legal team has not yet called any witnesses of its own, including the 31-year-old himself.

One of the most shocking testimonies heard in the Manhattan courthouse since the trial began three weeks ago occurred on Wednesday, when his ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison claimed she distributed “dishonest” financial statements at his orders.