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Sam Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison finished testifying against him again Thursday, after three days on the stand. The fallen cryptocurrency king is on trial in federal court in Manhattan, facing criminal fraud charges after customers of his crypto exchange FTX lost billions of dollars when it collapsed in November 2022.

Ellison, 28, wrapped her testimony by telling jurors that Bankman-Fried, 31, talked her out of resigning from her post as CEO of his hedge fund, Alameda Research, just months before FTX fell apart.

“He told me that I couldn’t, that I was too important,” Ellison said. “I trusted his opinion and I didn’t want FTX and Alameda to collapse.”

Former Alameda employee Christian Drappi was the next witness called after Ellison finished her testimony.

SBF has been charged with stealing more than $8 billion in user funds stored at FTX to plug losses at Alameda Research.

Follow the Post’s live coverage for the latest updates, reactions and analysis:

Recording of infamous Alameda 'all-hands meeting' played in court

By Ben Kochman

Jurors at Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal fraud trial heard a recording Thursday of the the infamous all-hands meeting in which the fallen crypto king's ex-lover blamed him for making the fateful decision to use customer funds to plug losses at his failed hedge fund.

"Um....Sam I guess," says Caroline Ellison in the recording played by federal prosecutors.

Ellison also admitted that "I think like, FTX, like, basically, always allowed Alameda to, like, borrow user funds as far as I know," - and dodged a question about whether the theft was an impromptu "yolo" decision, a reference to the saying, popular with millennials, that "you only live once."

Prosecutors introduced the recording into evidence after briefly calling former Alameda employee Christian Drappi to the stand.

The trial is set to resume Friday morning with testimony from Zac Prince, the CEO of crypto lender Block Fi, which reportedly was aware of FTX's financial issues months before the crypto exchange folded.

SBF talked ex-girlfriend, hedge fund CEO Caroline Ellison out of quitting just months before FTX's collapse, she says while finishing testimony

By Ben Kochman

Caroline Ellison is now off the stand after a largely drama-free cross-examination Thursday by Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyers.

Bankman-Fried's defense attorney, Mark Cohen, spent most of the day questioning Ellison about her financial strategy and accounting practices while running the fallen crypto titan's hedge fund Alameda Research.

At a few points, Cohen implied that Ellison should have reduced Alameda's risk by "hedging" the company's financial bets.

Caroline Ellison
Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly convinced Caroline Ellison to not quit FTX. Gregory P. Mango



Ellison admitted that the company did make "terrible mistakes" — but maintained that her ex-boyfriend Bankman-Fried was the one truly calling the shots on important Alameda decisions, like repaying lenders with more than $8 billion of FTX user funds.

Ellison also disclosed Thursday that Bankman-Fried talked her out of quitting Alameda months before FTX's collapse.

"He told me that I couldn't, that I was too important," Ellison said on the stand.

"I trusted his opinion and I didn't want FTX and Alameda to collapse," she added. 

Former Alameda employee Christian Drappi was the next witness called after Ellison wrapped her testimony.

Caroline Ellison was with her parents and new 'boyfriend' when FBI raided her home

By Ben Kochman

When FBI agents raided her home days after her ex-boyfriend Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto exchange imploded, Caroline Ellison was dating one of the embattled company's other employees, testimony revealed Thursday.

Caroline Ellison
Caroline Ellison reacts while being questioned by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon during Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial over the collapse of FTX, the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange. REUTERS


Ellison was staying with her parents and new "boyfriend" — who also worked at the disgraced crypto magnate's exchange FTX and hedge fund Alameda — at the time of the raid, she told jurors.

"My boyfriend was there, and my mom's cleaner who came once a week," Ellison recalled of the November 2022 episode.

Federal agents seized computers belonging to Ellison, her parents, and the boyfriend, Ellison testified.

The boyfriend was not identified. 

Ellison earlier testified that she dated Bankman-Fried on and off between the summer of 2020 and spring of 2022.

Sam Bankman-Fried's ex Caroline Ellison back on the stand

By Ben Kochman
Caroline Ellison
"I was in a state of dread," a sniffling Caroline Ellison told jurors Wednesday of her state of mind while she was CEO of Alameda Research -- Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto hedge fund. REUTERS

Good morning from Sam Bankman-Fried's trial in Manhattan federal court - where the fallen crypto titan's ex-lover and business partner Caroline Ellison is back on the stand for her third day of testimony.

Bankman-Fried's attorneys are expected to cross-examine Ellison for the next few hours.

Ellison - who is testifying as part of a cooperation deal with prosecutors - on Wednesday told jurors that Bankman-Fried believed he didn’t need to follow moral codes such as “don’t lie” and “don’t steal,” because he was a "utilitarian" working for the “greater good” of society.

The Stanford-grad, who headed Bankman-Fried's hedge fund Alameda Research, has also testified that it was her ex who decided to steal more than $8 billion of customer funds at Bankman-Fried's crypto exchange FTX to plug Alameda's losses.

Caroline Ellison, ex- CEO of Sam Bankman-Fried's hedge fund and his ex-lover, arrives to testify at his federal fraud trial for a 3rd day

By Kaydi Pelletier and Ben Kochman
caroline ellison arrives at court on oct 12
Caroline Ellison, the former girlfriend of FTX founder Samuel Bankman-Fried, arrives at federal court to continue testifying in the fraud case for a third day. Gregory P. Mango
caroline ellison arrives at court on oct 12
Star witness Ellison, 28, said Wednesday from the stand that the fallen crypto king believed he didn’t need to abide by moral codes “don’t lie” and “don’t steal” because he was working for the “greater good” of society. Gregory P. Mango
On Wednesday, the former hedge fund CEO said she "really didn't want to be dishonest" — as she doctored balance sheets at Alameda Research to hide the embezzling of FTX customers' funds. Gregory P. Mango
Ellison also testified that Bankman-Fried told her that he was a self-described "utilitarian." Gregory P. Mango
Bankman-Fried told Ellison, his on-and-off girlfriend, that “the only moral rule that matters was what maximized utility” — meaning “whatever generates the greatest good for the greatest number of people," she told the jury. AP

Sam Bankman-Fried thought lying and stealing were necessary for the ‘greater good,’ ex claims

By Ben Kochman

Fallen crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried ignored rules like “don’t lie” and “don’t steal” because they didn’t fit into his “utilitarian” moral code about how to achieve the “greater good,” his ex-girlfriend testified at his fraud trial Wednesday.

“He said that he was a utilitarian and he believed that the ways that people try to justify rules like ‘don’t lie,’ ‘don’t steal,’ under utilitarianism didn’t work,” Caroline Ellison, 28, told jurors in Manhattan federal court.

Bankman-Fried has been charged with stealing more than $8 billion in user funds stored at his crypto exchange FTX to plug losses at his hedge fund Alameda Research.

He told Ellison, his on-and-off girlfriend, that “the only moral rule that matters was what maximized utility” — meaning “whatever generates the greatest good for the greatest number of people.”

READ MORE

Caroline Ellison seen crying in court sketches after emotional testimony at SBF trial

By Mark Suleymanov

Caroline Ellison reacts while being questioned by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon during Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial over the collapse of FTX, the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., October 11, 2023 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
Sam Bankman-Fried appears.
Caroline Ellison reacts while being questioned by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon during Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial over the collapse of FTX, the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange. REUTERS
Caroline Ellison reacts while being questioned by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon during Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial over the collapse of FTX, the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., October 11, 2023 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
Sam Bankman-Fried appears
Ellison said she felt a sense of relief about the collapse of FTX and enduring the "worst week of my life" after the truth began coming out in Nov. 2022. REUTERS

Ellison, crying on the stand: 'The worst week of my life' when truth about hedge fund plugging losses with FTX customer deposits was revealed

By Ben Kochman

Ellison started crying on the stand while she recounted the moments after the truth started to come out in November 2022 about Alameda using FTX user funds to plug its losses.

"One of the feelings that I had was a feeling of relief because it was something that I had dreaded for so long," Ellison testified, looking down at the witness table.

"I felt a sense of relief that I didn't have to lie anymore and could take responsibility for what I had done," Ellison added. "It was overall the worst week of my life."

Caroline Ellison: SBF told me morals like 'don't lie,' 'don't steal' don't matter to him because he's a 'utilitarian'

By Ben Kochman

Caroline Ellison was close to tears this morning as she was asked to describe her state of mind about the hedge fund she ran at one point holding $13 billion worth of FTX user deposits.

"I was in a state of dread," a sniffling Ellison told jurors, in the most emotional moment during her two days of testimony.

"I was kind of thinking and worrying about what might happen if too many people tried to withdraw too much money at one time," Ellison added.

"I was in a state of dread," a sniffling Caroline Ellison told jurors Wednesday of her state of mind while she was CEO of Alameda Research — Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto hedge fund. REUTERS

Ellison also testified that Bankman-Fried told her that he was a self-described "utilitarian" — and that rules like "don't lie" and "don't steal" didn't fit neatly into his moral framework.

"He thought the only moral rule that matters was what maximized utility, so essentially, whatever generates the greatest good for the greatest number of people," she said on the stand.

More than $8 billion worth of crypto assets held by FTX users ended up vanishing when Bankman-Fried's crypto exchange collapsed in November 2022, the feds say.

Court proceedings have now paused for a lunch break until 1:30 p.m.

Caroline Ellison 'really didn't want to be dishonest' — as she doctored balance sheets to hide the embezzling of FTX customers' funds

By Ben Kochman

Caroline Ellison has testified in granular detail today about how she helped Sam Bankman-Fried's hedge fund, Alameda Research, borrow $10 billion of FTX user funds — and took steps to cover the company's tracks.

In June 2022, Alameda sent over doctored balance sheets to one of its lenders that hid the fact that the company — of which Ellison, 28, was CEO — had been dipping into customers' crypto wallets, she said.

Sam Bankman-Fried's ex, Caroline Ellison, detailed from the stand Wednesday how his hedge fund, Alameda Research — where she was CEO — borrowed $10 billion of FTX crypto customer funds. REUTERS
"I really didn't want to be dishonest, but I also didn't want them to know the truth," Ellison told jurors. REUTERS

The Stanford-educated math whiz — who is also Bankman-Fried's ex-girlfriend — said she followed his orders to send the false files to crypto lending firm Genesis, despite knowing that doing so was wrong.

"I really didn't want to be dishonest, but I also didn't want them to know the truth," Ellison told jurors.

Genesis had been a heavy investor in Alameda, and at the time was considering whether to pull out $500 million of its funds held with Bankman-Fried's company.

Genesis ended up declaring bankruptcy in January, a few months after FTX's November 2022 collapse.

Sam Bankman-Fried's parents arriving at Manhattan federal court Wednesday

By Kaydi Pelletier
The parents of FTX founder Samuel Bankman-Fried arrive at federal court in Manhattan to continue to watch the trial of their son. Gregory P. Mango
Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried have been consistently showing up to court as their son stands trial for criminal fraud. REUTERS
Sam Bankman-Fried’s father and brother, as well as former Trump spokesman Anthony Scaramucci, are on the witness list prosecutors read at the outset of the trial Oct. 3.
Sam Bankman-Fried’s father and brother, as well as former Trump spokesman Anthony Scaramucci, are on the witness list prosecutors read at the outset of the trial Oct. 3. Bloomberg via Getty Images

SBF's ex Caroline Ellison arrives at court to testify against him for a 2nd day, after slamming him for directing her 'to commit these crimes'

By Kaydi Pelletier and Ben Kochman
Former crypto hedge fund Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison arrives for the trial of former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried
Former crypto hedge fund Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison arrives for the trial of former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried. REUTERS
Ellison (in hat and sunglasses) arrives at federal court to continue testifying in the fraud case. Gregory P. Mango
During the first day of the former CEO's testimony Tuesday, Ellison, 28, confronted her ex-lover in court — matter-of-factly telling jurors that he bears the blame for deciding to steal billions in cryptocurrency customer funds. Gregory P. Mango
“He directed me to commit these crimes,” Ellison said in Manhattan federal court, during her highly-anticipated testimony that began Tuesday. Derek French/Shutterstock

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