Sam Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison arrives in court to testify against him in court over FTX’s crypto crash
- Caroline Ellison was spotted entering Manhattan federal court this morning
- She dated Sam Bankman-Fried while she was CEO of Alameda Research
- She cut off all communication after their last breakup in 2022
Sam Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend has arrived at court in New York to testify against him in the trial over FTX’s collapse.
Caroline Ellison was spotted entering Manhattan federal court this morning as she prepares to take the stand against the failed cryptocurrency kingpin.
Bankman-Fried is currently facing federal charges related to the company’s stunning collapse last year.
Ellison ran FTX’s sister company Alameda Research while the two were an item, but she cut off all communication after they split in 2022.
Today, she appeared in court wearing a blue baseball cap and dark sunglasses to take the stand against her former lover.
Caroline Ellison was seen entering Manhattan federal court this morning as she prepares to take the stand against the failed cryptocurrency kingpin
Ellison ran FTX’s sister company Alameda Research while the two were an item
Ellison and Bankman-Fried had a professional and romantic relationship for about five years
Bankman-Fried, 31, pleaded not guilty to 13 charges between 2019 and 2011, including fraud, money laundering and violations of campaign finance laws that could have sent him to prison for 115 years.
Seven of the allegations are being dealt with in the current trial and the rest will appear in court next year.
DailyMail.com previously exclusively reported how he blamed his ex-girlfriend when the extent of the company’s $11 billion debt became clear.
Court documents showed the FTX founder wrote to his male colleagues that Ellison ‘is not a natural leader, and probably never will be.’
Ellison and Bankman-Fried had a tumultuous five-year relationship with multiple breakups and reconciliations.
During their time together, the disgraced crypto boss sent her a list of pros and cons of being in a physical relationship with him.
Court documents show that Bankman-Fried blamed his ex-girlfriend for massive debts at his company
Sam Bankman-Frieds’ parents, Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman, were also seen in court today
Fried and her husband are also being sued by FTX who claim they used the company to enrich themselves
He told her he didn’t think they would last because of his ‘lack of empathy’ and the fact that it would be ‘bad PR’.
They finally parted ways in 2022 for good and Ellison cut off all communication.
In April that year she wrote in her diary: ‘I felt quite hurt/rejected. Not giving you the contact you wanted felt like the only way I could regain a sense of power.’
Prosecutors allege Alameda operated as a slush fund for $8 billion of FTX clients’ money that was used for extravagant spending, real estate purchases and making political donations.
Ellison pleaded guilty last December to two counts of wire fraud and several counts of financial conspiracy.
It is thought she may be questioned today about blog posts she wrote during her 2021 tenure at Alameda, which refer to her polyamorous lifestyle and drug use.
Bankman-Fried’s parents Stanford law professors Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman were also seen in court today.
The couple themselves face legal action in the form of a lawsuit by FTX who claim they used the company to enrich themselves.
The lawsuit alleges the couple accepted a $10 million cash gift from their son, as well as a $16.4 million home in the Bahamas.