US prosecutors are accusing Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) of leaking his ex-girlfriend’s personal diary to weaken his testimony in the lawsuit over the bankruptcy of his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.
This Thursday (20) The New York Times published an article revealing personal writings by Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research, another company founded by SBF.
In addition to the end of the former CEO duo’s romantic relationship, the article also deals with Ellison’s psychological state which is close to bankruptcy of FTX.
Caroline Ellison’s Diary
Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison’s relationship became known worldwide after the bankruptcy of FTX. On the date, even Elon Musk created a fake Twitter account to mock the couple.
The article published by The New York Times presents a more intimate and psychological version of Ellison, who didn’t seem to know how to separate his personal and professional life.
“I feel very unhappy and overwhelmed with my work”wrote Ellison in his diary in February 2022. “At the end of the day, I can’t wait to go home, put down the phone and have a drink and forget about it all.”
Two months later in April, she reports a disappointment with her job after her split from Bankman-Fried, noting that it “much dampened my excitement about Alameda”.
“I felt very hurt/rejected. Not giving you the contact you wanted seemed like the only way to regain that sense of power.
Another part of the article also points out the difference in bonuses between executives. While Nishad Singh earned $587 million, Gary Wang earned $246 million and SBF earned $2.2 billion. Ellison, on the other hand, reportedly only received $6 million.
“Playing the Alameda doesn’t seem like something to me […] be fit to do”wrote Ellison in April 2022 doubting his abilities.
The U.S. Department of Justice believes the article may bias Ellison’s testimony
As indicated in the NYT article itself, Caroline Ellison is the key witness in the trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, scheduled for Oct. 2.
Therefore, the US Department of Justice points out that the leak of this personal information was a maneuver by the executive branch itself “to discredit a witness”.
“The article does not say who provided the documents to the authors of the article”the Justice Department points out that SBF met with one of the NYT journalists. “It is clear that the documents were shared by the defendant with the reporters for the article.”
According to allegations, Bankman-Fried diverted funds from FTX clients to Alameda Research, creating a billionaire hole in the brokerage’s money, which is one of the reasons for the bankruptcy.
Finally, prosecutors are asking that the leak of information be judged an attempt to manipulate the jury and that Ellison’s diary therefore not be used in the trial.
Source: Live Coins
Barry Siefert is an accomplished journalist and author at The Nation View. He is known for his expertise in the field of cryptocurrency, and has written extensively on the topic. With a background in finance and economics, Barry has a deep understanding of the underlying technology and market forces that drive the crypto industry.