London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Apr 01, 2023

Sam Bankman-Fried: This crypto entrepreneur saw his £21bn empire crumble in just three days - what happened at FTX?

Sam Bankman-Fried: This crypto entrepreneur saw his £21bn empire crumble in just three days - what happened at FTX?

No longer a billionaire, Sam Bankman-Fried says his net worth has dwindled to $100,000 (£80,000) following FTX's demise - and he admitted it has been a "bad month".

Sam Bankman-Fried looked unstoppable.

The 30-year-old had built a £21bn business empire and was the CEO of FTX, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange.

More than one million customers worldwide were using his platform to buy assets like Bitcoin - enticed by star-studded adverts that made everything look simple and safe.


Naomi Osaka appeared in an ad for FTX

Bankman-Fried - known as SBF for short - had become one of the biggest names in the crypto industry too, with his company swooping in to save smaller firms after they were tipped into bankruptcy.

But in the space of just three days, a series of bombshell allegations led to the spectacular collapse of FTX and a bankruptcy of its own.

Bankman-Fried's personal wealth dropped by a staggering 94% in 24 hours - the biggest one-day fall ever suffered by a billionaire, according to Bloomberg.

Hundreds of thousands are locked out of their life savings - an estimated 80,000 of them in the UK.

Vast sums of money have gone missing from the exchange, amid allegations that customer funds were mismanaged.

No longer a billionaire, Bankman-Fried says his net worth has dwindled to $100,000 (£80,000) following FTX's demise - and he admitted it has been a "bad month".

But it could soon get a lot worse for Bankman-Fried. Criminal investigations have now been launched into the company's collapse, with aggrieved investors filing a flurry of lawsuits.

So what next for the deposed "Crypto King", why did his digital empire rise and fall so quickly, and where does it leave this already embattled industry?

An 'altruistic' entrepreneur


Californian-born, a poster boy for "effective altruism" (getting rich in order to give money to good causes), a teetotaller and a vegan, Bankman-Fried is in many ways a far cry from the Machiavellian emperors of time gone by.

Still, SBF managed to craft an empire that would even make Julius Caesar green-eyed.

Bankman-Fried's story - which is by no means a rags-to-riches one - begins in the wealthy San Francisco Bay area, where he attended a $56,000-a-year school.

After graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, SBF moved on to Wall Street - and later set up his own trading business called Alameda Research.

His co-founder Tara Mac Aulay left the business in 2018 in part because of "concerns over risk management and business ethics".

After attending a cryptocurrency event, Bankman-Fried left the US and moved to Hong Kong, where he founded FTX.


The FTX boom


FTX was set up to allow people to buy cryptocurrencies using their pounds and dollars. It was praised for its easy-to-use interface - and made money by charging small fees for each transaction.

By July 2021, FTX had more than one million users and was the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume - winning investments from major firms including SoftBank and Sequoia Capital.

In September of that year, Bankman-Fried moved his business to the tax haven of The Bahamas - in part, he claimed, because of a crackdown on crypto by China.

Once settled in the Caribbean, Bankman-Fried - an avid gamer who was once accused of playing League of Legends during a business meeting - invested in a multimillion-dollar waterfront penthouse.

The luxury property, overlooking an area used for filming the scene where Daniel Craig famously emerged from the water in Casino Royale, was also used as a home office for Bankman-Fried and up to nine of his FTX devotees.


Under SBF's leadership,FTX marketed itself aggressively. It paid a reported $135m (£110m) for the naming rights to an arena used by the Miami Heat basketball team.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka and NFL legend Tom Brady entered into high-profile partnerships with the exchange - appearing in TV adverts and snapping up equity stakes in the business.

And during the Super Bowl earlier this year, FTX spent millions on a 60-second TV spot featuring Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David - a commercial that hasn't aged well.

The advert showed David travelling through the ages and dismissing inventions including the wheel, the fork and the toilet - zooming to the present day, where he's told about FTX being a "safe and easy way to get into crypto".

"Ehhhhh, I don't think so," the comedian says in the advert. "And I'm never wrong about this stuff. Never."



The FTX bust


In April this year, Bankman-Fried cemented his status - appearing on stage at an event with former US president Bill Clinton and ex-UK prime minister Tony Blair.

SBF also backed Joe Biden's presidential campaign against Donald Trump to the tune of more than $5m (£4.1m) - making him the politician's second-biggest financial backer.

But last month, reports began to suggest trouble was afoot at FTX because of its close ties to Bankman-Fried's first business, Alameda Research.

FTX had created its own token called FTT, which was designed to offer discounts and incentives to the exchange's customers. The total value of all the FTT tokens in circulation stood at £2.65bn - making it one of the biggest cryptocurrencies in the world.

A leaked document obtained by the crypto publication CoinDesk revealed that Alameda Research had a significant amount of FTT on its balance sheet - raising serious questions about the health of this trading firm.

That spooked Changpeng Zhao - an early investor in FTX who runs Binance, the world's biggest exchange.

Changpeng Zhao.


In a dramatic move, Zhao, who had been feuding with Bankman-Fried over the future of crypto regulation, announced Binance would sell off the FTT tokens on its books - a haul worth $529m (£430m).

The announcement sparked a huge decline in the value of FTT, which has lost 95% of its value since the crisis began. Meanwhile, investors rushed to FTX to withdraw their crypto, fearing its collapse.

It is estimated that about $6bn (£5.2bn) worth of withdrawal requests were made in three days, pushing FTX into a financial crisis.

Binance said it would consider acquiring FTX - but one executive said it took just two hours of due diligence to conclude that the company was beyond saving.

That same day, FTX filed for bankruptcy in the US state of Delaware - with liabilities of at least $10bn (£8.2bn).

Users are now unable to withdraw their savings from the exchange, and it could be years before they see any of their money again.

Things then went from bad to worse. Hours after the bankruptcy, worried customers were dealt another blow after FTX was hacked - with officials estimating that $600m (£490m) was siphoned from the exchange.

Bankman-Fried also caused anger when he tweeted "WHAT HAPPENED", one letter at a time, in a thread over several days - leading to criticism that he was tone deaf while users were desperate for updates about what was going on.


Allegations of shady business practices have since emerged - with Reuters reporting that FTX used customer funds to cover losses at its sister company Alameda Research, with up to £8bn being moved in secret. Bankman-Fried has said he "wasn't running" Alameda's operations and "didn't know exactly what was going on".

Elsewhere, it's been claimed that Bankman-Fried had established a "backdoor" in FTX's bookkeeping system that allowed money to be moved out of the business without other executives being alerted. The entrepreneur has denied that this was the case.

The Financial Times also reported that as much as $8bn (£6.5bn) in customer funds has vanished from FTX - and now, the exchange's new management has been left picking up the pieces.

FTX's new CEO is John Ray, who made his name after leading the energy firm Enron through bankruptcy proceedings in the early 2000s. That major company had collapsed amid revelations of widespread accounting fraud and corruption.

Outlining the severity of the crypto exchange's condition, Mr Ray wrote in a bankruptcy filing: "Never in my career have I seen such a complete failure of corporate controls and such a complete absence of trustworthy financial information as occurred here.

"From compromised systems integrity and faulty regulatory oversight abroad, to the concentration of control in the hands of a very small group of inexperienced, unsophisticated and potentially compromised individuals, this situation is unprecedented."

A bankruptcy lawyer for FTX's new management later said Bankman-Fried had run the company as his "personal fiefdom" - and the business has suffered "one of the most abrupt and difficult collapses in the history of corporate America".

Bankman-Fried has repeatedly apologised - saying he "f***** up" with how he handled the business - and has given a number of high-profile interviews despite being advised not to do so by lawyers.

He has also expressed fears that some customers who had crypto locked up in FTX may only receive 20% to 25% of their savings back.


On Wednesday, he spoke at The New York Times' DealBook summit for the first time since the dramatic collapse of the business.

He said: "I didn't ever try to commit fraud on anyone. I was excited about the prospects of FTX a month ago. I saw it as a thriving, growing business. I was shocked by what happened this month."

SBF was also asked about claims that he and the co-workers in his penthouse were a polyamorous group who drifted in and out of relationships with one another and held drug-fuelled parties.

He told The New York Times: "When we had parties, we played board games and 20% of people would have three-quarters of beer each or something like that. And the rest of us would not drink anything. I didn't see any illegal drug use around me - you know, at the office or at these parties."

And speaking to Good Morning America, SBF added: "I lived with a bunch of monogamous couples when I was here, some of whom got married over the course of their time here. I don't know of any polyamorous relationships within FTX."

The value of FTX's FTT token has collapsed over the past month.


What about the future?


Everyday investors and some top US firms have lost out in the FTX crash.

A crypto lending company called BlockFi has now been tipped into bankruptcy as a direct result of this exchange's demise, and more may follow.

Meanwhile, the future of other businesses that FTX had acquired is uncertain.

The shockwaves have been largely contained in the crypto sector and haven't spilled over into traditional markets.

Nonetheless, experts in the field say there will be real-world ramifications going forward.

Eddie Donmez, finance influencer and global market analyst at Finimize, said crypto businesses are likely to face more regulation in the future.

He told Sky News: "In the near term, the contagion has been within the crypto market and while the near term has been very bad, terrible, for cryptocurrency what I do think is that it could be an acid test for regulation.

"While there are always bad actors involved in any industry where money is involved, this could be a good thing in the long term for crypto."


Mr Donmez also said he believed that the whole FTX episode is something that should make people sit up and listen.

He added: "This story is of interest to the public because there are some major players who have been fooled by a kid playing computer games in investment meetings.

"It shows everyone can get it wrong from time to time."

Katharine Wooller, from crypto insurance firm Coincover, added: "I think this will bring regulation. Crypto purists will say no because it is against what they believe is at the heart of crypto, but there needs to be more regulation, not less."

The collapse of FTX is another hammer blow to the credibility of cryptocurrencies - with Bitcoin's price falling by 75% since November 2021.

But Bitcoin enthusiasts say this company's demise shows why it is important for investors to store crypto on their own devices, rather than entrust it to an exchange.

There's little sign that conditions will improve in this infamously volatile sector any time soon - and if the world's second-largest exchange can go bankrupt, no crypto company is safe.

Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
Close
0:00
0:00
Russia arrested an American reporter for the Wall Street Journal on espionage charges
You Are So Beautiful
Don’t Dismiss China’s Peacemaking Bid
Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version
Austrian Parliament members walk out when Volodymyr Zelensky begins speaking.
An old French tune (by Georges Brassens) Pomplamoose ft. John Schroeder
Father obliterates council members following viral TikTok of biological male masturbating in women’s bathroom..
Sattahip Motor Show 20
Tsai Ing-wen received a "warm welcome" from the Chinese people in the US.
SONATE AU CLAIR DE LUNE - Moonlight sonata
EU's von der Leyen: "We know this is an era where we rely on one single supplier. China. 98% of our rare earth supply."
A kiss to build a dream on
China and Brazil have signed a new deal that will allow them to trade in their own currencies, bypassing the US dollar as an intermediary
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Elon Musk and Others Call for Pause on A.I., Citing ‘Profound Risks to Society’
Mean Blues
Nashville style execution
La Chansonnette
“We've had evidence prior to the pandemic that masks were largely ineffective at preventing community transmission of influenza “
Pattaya Addicts
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz:
Franz Liszt - Liebestraum - Love Dream
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz rejects being labeled a "billionaire"
Dream a little dream of me
Jamie Dimon is being deposed over JPMorgan Chase role in Epstein lawsuits
Unchained Melody sung like you've NEVER heard!
This is how an electric car saves all the energy that he would have spent if he had lived 50 years longer.
Dave Brubeck - Take Five
Brand new security footage has just been released to the public showing the Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to Covenant Church School in her Honda Fit this morning, parked, and shot her way into the building
Édith Piaf - Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien (Sofie)
Social Media censoring users for saying the true
Rondo Alla Turca
Smart Iranian fashion designer teaching dummy TV anchors lesson about reality
Kiss of fire
AMERICA, 2023
Tom Jones - I´ll Never Fall In Love Again 1967, 1989, 2001
U.S. charges FTX's Bankman-Fried with paying $40 million bribe
Israel Cachao López - Guajira Clásica
Fallen 'Crypto King' Who Owes Millions to Investors Was Kidnapped and Tortured
Edward Maya - Stereo Love (feat. Vika Jigulina) (Extended Mix)
Regulators blame social media for SVB's rapid collapse: 'Complete game changer'
Strauss - Radetzky March - Karajan
AOC explains why she opposes banning TikTok
La vie en rose
UK: Humza Yousaf replaces Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and first minister in Scotland
The Temptations - My Girl (Smokey Robinson Tribute) 2006 Kennedy Cent
In a dramatic U-turn against His Government: Judicial Reform Legislation Must Be Halted, Says Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant
Orlando Cachaito Lopez Redencion
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Edith Piaf - NON, JE NE REGRETTE RIEN
Powell: Silicon Valley Bank was an 'outlier'
RADETZKY MARCH-2008-Wien, New Year Concert
Bordeaux town hall set on fire in France pro democracy protest
Only you (And you alone)
Police violence in Paris
Strangers In The Night
Paris: Some of the police are stepping down and showing solidarity with the protesters.
Charles Aznavour - La Boheme
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
Summer time
NYPD is setting up barricades outside Manhattan Criminal Court ahead of Trump arrest.
Sting and Stevie Wonder - Fragile (from Sting's 60th birthday concert)
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Aux Champs Elysees
Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours potential migrant housing in Rwanda as asylum deal remains mired in legal challenges
Stand By Me - Ben E. King (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Goldman Sachs cuts outlook for European bank debt over Credit Suisse crisis
La Mer (Beyond the Sea) – Avalon Jazz Band
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
She
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
Nathalie Song by Enzo Petrachi Stjepan Hauser Cello
Orbán Viktor: the restructuring of the power relations in the whole of Europe is taking place
Shape of My Heart - Sting (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
Radiohead - Creep
The BBC problem about China
Quizás,Quizás,Quizás - Andrea Bocelli - Jennifer Lopez
Strikes-Hit UK Pledges 94 Billion Euros In Cost-Of-Living Budget
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Multi-Couples
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
Pentatonix Havana
"Will Fly Wherever International Law Allows": US Warns Russia After Drone Incident
Paula Cole - Autumn Leaves
UK face biggest fall in spending power for 70 years
Oscar Benton Bensonhurst Blues
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work
OH NANANA vs ABUSADAMENTE
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
Nina Simone - ”I Put A Spell On You”. Vezi aici cum cântă Jeremy Ragsd
Announcing GPT-4
NIGHTWISH - The Phantom Of The Opera
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Motorshow 2016 Tanjay Negros Oriental
Drew Barrymore
Monica Bellucci - Ti Amo
China is calling out the US, UK, and Australia on their submarine pact, claiming they are going further down a dangerous road
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean Milena The Voice France 2018
A brief banking situation report
Michael Buble (Help Me Make It Through The Night) feat Loren Allred
Memories Canon In D - Maroon 5 (Boyce Avenue piano acoustic cover)
Matteo Simoni - Marina
Maroon 5 - One More Night
Maroon 5 - Memories
Mark Knopfler - Brothers In Arms (Berlin 2007 Live)
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Romeo And Juliet (Real Live Roadrunni
Marina, Marina - The LUCKY DUCKIES intimist live concert at Guimarães
Major Lazer & DJ Snake – Lean On Mauranne The Voice France 2016
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet - Joslin - Henri Mancini, Nino Rota
LoLa & Hauser - Love Story
Linkin Park Jay-Z - Numb Encore (Live 8 2005)
Hallelujah Mennel Ibtissem, The Voice France Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen - Dance Me to the End of Love
Leonard Cohen & Natasha Rostova - Dance me to the end of love
La casa de papel - Bella Ciao
La Camisa Negra
L'italiano (Toto Cutugno) - The Gypsy Queens
Juanes - La Camisa Negra
Jonathan and Charlotte - Britain's Got Talent 2012 Live Semi Final - U
John Powell - Assassin's Tango
Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On (LIVE in Dortmund)
Joe Cocker - Unchain My Heart 2002 Live
Joe Cocker - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Jay Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind LIVE
Jason Mraz - Im Yours (live)
Jarrod Radnich - Bohemian Rhapsody - Virtuosic Piano Solo
James Blunt - You're Beautiful
James Blunt - You're Beautiful & Bonfire Heart (Live at The Nobel Peac)
If You Go Away - Helen Merrill & Stan Getz (Tribute to Virna Lisi)
I'LL BE MISSING YOU
I Say a Little Prayer
Hotel California ( Eagles ) 1994 Live
Historia de un amor - Luz Casal. Vezi interpretarea Biancăi Sumanariu
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover) on Spot
Heart - Stairway to Heaven Led Zeppelin - Kennedy Center Honors
HAVANA by Camila Cabello Zumba Pre Cooldown TML Crew Kramer Pastra
HAUSER and Señorita - I Will Always Love You
HAUSER - Waka Waka
HAUSER - Sway
HAUSER - Lambada
HAUSER - Historia de un Amor
HAUSER - Despacito
Great Pretender
Georgia May Foote & Giovanni Pernice Samba to 'Volare' - Strictly Come
Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues
GIPSY KINGS VOLARE Penelope Cruz
Fugees - Killing Me Softly With His Song
French Latino - Historia de un Amor
For A Few Dollars More The Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Live)
Flashdance • What a Feeling • Irene Cara
Filip Rudan - “Someone You Loved” Audicija 4 The Voice Hrvatska Sez
Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight
Enya - Only Time
Enrique Iglesias - Bailando (English Version) ft. Sean Paul
Enrique Iglesias - Bailamos
Elena Yerevan Historia de un amor
Ed Sheeran - Shape of You (Official Music Video)
Ed Sheeran - Perfect Symphony [with Andrea Bocelli]
Ed Sheeran - Perfect (Official Music Video)
Easy On Me - Adele (Boyce Avenue 90’s style piano acoustic cover) on S
ERA - Ameno
ELENA YEREVAN- Cancion Del Mariachi-IN STUDIO-2017 DPR
Dust In The Wind - Kansas (Boyce Avenue acoustic cover)
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Despacito x Shape Of You - Pentatonix
Deep Purple - Child In Time - Live (1970)
David Foster When A Man Loves A WomanIt's A Mans World (SealMichael Bo
Dance me to the end of Love ( Pi-Air Design )
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) [Official Music Video]
Conquest Of Paradise (Vangelis), played on Böhm Emporio organ
Cielito Lindo
Chico & The Gypsies - Bamboleo
Canción Del Mariachi - Antonio Banderas, Los Lobos • Desperado
Camila Cabello - Havana (Audio) ft. Young Thug
Camila Cabello - Havana ( cover by J.Fla )
California Dreamin' - The Mamas & The Papas José Feliciano (Boyce Ave
Buster Benton - Money Is The Name of The Game
Hallelujah Pentatonix
Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy (Official Music Video)
Bob Dylan - Knockin' On Heaven's Door Emilia The Voice Kids France
Besame Mucho - Cesaria Evora
Ben E. King - Stand by Me Sax Cover Alexandra Ilieva Thomann
Bella Ciao
Bella Ciao - INSTRUMENTAL
Beautiful in White x Canon in D (Piano Cover by Riyandi Kusuma)
Bad Romance - Vintage 1920's Gatsby Style Lady Gaga Cover ft. Ariana Savalas & Sarah Reich(1)
BELLA CIAO 2020 - KARAOKE ITALIANO
BAMBOLEO - Gipsy Kings • Antonio Banderas, Katya Virshilas
BAILANDO (original)
Awesome Ukrainian yodeler - SOFIA SHKIDCHENKO (with English subtitles)
Avicii - The Nights
Atom - The Great Gig in the Sky
Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Official Ly
Antonio Banderas - Cancion del Mariachi (Desperado)
André Rieu - Zorba's Dance (Sirtaki)
André Rieu - Can't Help Falling In Love
André Rieu & Mirusia - Ave Maria
Andrew Reyes Elton John - Don't Let The Sun Go Down The Voice 2020 (
Andreas Kümmert Whiter Shade Of Pale The Voice of Germany 2013 Showd
And I Love You So
All About That Bass - Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version
Alan Walker - Faded (Piano Cover)
Ain't No Sunshine -- Bill Withers (cover by Canen 12 y.o.)
African music
Adriana Vidović - “Creep” Audicija 4 The Voice Hrvatska Sezona 3
Adriana Vidović - “Believer” Nokaut 3 The Voice Hrvatska Sezona 3
A Fistful of Dollars - The Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Tuva
4 Beautiful Soundtracks Relaxing Piano [10min]
2CELLOS - Whole Lotta Love vs. Beethoven 5th Symphony [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
2CELLOS - Smooth Criminal (Live at Suntory Hall, Tokyo)
2CELLOS - Smells Like Teen Spirit [Live at Sydney Opera House]
2CELLOS - Despacito [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
13 Year Old Girl Playing Il Silenzio (The Silence) - André Rieu
094.All About That Bass
00 - SADNESS PART 1
(Ghost) Riders In the Sky (American Outlaws Live at Nassau Coliseum, 1
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams (Boyce Avenue ft. Conn
What a wonderful world
Moon river
×