- FTX is suing its former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), co-founder Gary Wang, and other key executives over alleged misappropriation of funds to the tune of over $1 billion.
- Allegations include misuse of funds for personal endeavors, fraudulent loans, and an audacious plan to buy a small island nation.
Crypto exchange FTX, in a momentous legal turn, has lodged a lawsuit against its former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, and several other principal executives who were part of the now insolvent exchange. With a primary aim to retrieve over $1 billion of purportedly diverted funds, FTX’s latest legal action represents a strategic shift.
Executives in the Dock: High-Stakes Accusations and Personal Projects
Previously focusing on fund acquisition, the exchange now targets holding its former executives accountable for their alleged involvement in dubious transactions. The lawsuit, filed on July 20, names several individuals, including Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), Gary Wang (FTX’s co-founder), Nishad Singh (ex-director of engineering), and Caroline Ellison (co-chief executive of Alameda Research LLC).
The central thrust of the lawsuit revolves around alleged misappropriation of customer funds. The accusation states that these funds were directed towards personal undertakings such as buying upscale condominiums, political and “charitable” contributions, speculative investments, and other personal projects – none of which contributed to FTX’s growth or success.
The lawsuit maintains that in May 2022, SBF and Wang transferred a staggering $546 million from Alameda to purchase shares in Robinhood Markets. The suit alleges the duo provided Alameda with loans, termed fraudulent by FTX, as these loans lacked requisite collateral and offered interest rates significantly below commercial market rates.
Interestingly, the sole approval for Alameda to extend these loans allegedly came from Ellison. Ellison herself is accused of awarding a whopping $28.8 million bonus to herself, from which she used $10 million to secure a stake in an artificial intelligence company.
A Private Island and the Altruism Movement
Moreover, the lawsuit alleges an ambitious plan by the nonprofit arm of FTX, the FTX Foundation, to acquire the small island nation of Nauru. It’s claimed that a memo from a foundation officer to Gabriel Bankman-Fried, SBF’s brother, detailed this initiative.
The lawsuit suggests the island was envisioned to be a sanctuary for followers of the effective altruism movement, a philosophy publicly advocated by SBF. The memo even discussed potential uses for such a sovereign nation in a doomsday scenario where half or more of the global population faces extinction.
