Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Over the past month, lawyers in the criminal trial of Sam Bankman-Fried have brought close to 20 witnesses to the stand and presented hundreds of exhibits to the 12 jurors who will decide the fate of the boy once deemed the king of crypto.
The jury, which began deliberations on Thursday afternoon, has a mountain of evidence to consider in determining whether the 31-year-old founder of FTX is guilty of seven criminal counts, which include wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering. Bankman-Fried, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, faces more than 100 years in prison if convicted.
While prosecutors were able to present the jury with testimony from members of the defendant’s inner circle, Bankman-Fried’s case rests largely on his own appearance on the witness stand.
“From beginning to end, Sam Bankman-Fried’s team failed to come up with a real game changer,” said Renato Mariotti, a former prosecutor in the U.S. Justice Department’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Section and now a trial partner in Chicago with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. “His fraud was brazen and difficult to explain away, and he lacked the discipline to keep his mouth shut even after it was apparent that he was under criminal investigation.”
In addition to oral testimony, the government brought in other evidence to try and prove its case and to paint a picture of an executive who got too much, too fast, and spent well in excess of his means. These exhibits include encrypted text messages, emails, promissory notes, Google docs, spreadsheets, leaked videos and photos displaying Bankman-Fried’s lavish lifestyle, including of his $35 million condo in the Bahamas.
Lawyers for the U.S. Attorney’s office entered into evidence a series of photos featuring the $35 million penthouse where Sam Bankman-Fried and his fellow co-workers resided.
Source: SDNY
$1.1 billion in promissory notes
For weeks, prosecutors have shown the jury how billions of dollars in FTX customer money went to political donations, venture investments and luxury real estate. They traced the hundreds of millions of dollars that went from company coffers to Bankman-Fried’s personal accounts.
The prosecution presented a series of relatively simple, two-page promissory notes. According to agreements signed by the defendant and Caroline Ellison, who ran hedge fund Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried borrowed more $1.1 billion in the year before his companies — FTX and Alameda — filed for bankruptcy.
Bankman-Fried admitted on the stand that there were likely more loans that weren’t properly documented, so the borrowing probably exceeded what was presented into evidence.
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Secret emails
Much of the government’s case against Bankman-Fried hinges on the testimony, emails, and text messages from former top lieutenants who turned against him late last year.
In one email, shared by prosecutors, Bankman-Fried promised preferential treatment to Bahamian customers on the FTX cryptocurrency exchange.
In a message to Ryan Pinder, the attorney general and minister of legal affairs for the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried claimed FTX had “segregated funds for all Bahamian customers” and would be “more than happy to open up withdrawals for all Bahamian customers on FTX, so that they can, tomorrow, fully withdraw all of their assets, making them fully whole.”
The email was sent Nov. 9, one day after FTX had halted withdrawals and two days before it filed for bankruptcy. FTX users had collectively pulled $5 billion off the platform in what amounted to a bank run.
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Two other separate email chains show that Bankman-Fried seriously mischaracterized his role at Alameda Research, according to prosecutors.
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
In a message to Rob Creamer, the CEO of Geneva Trading and chairman of FIA Principal Traders Group, Bankman-Fried wrote “Alameda has a totally separate team” that he didn’t manage.
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Bankman-Fried wrote in an email to a Wall Street Journal reporter that Alameda’s account access “is the same as others” and that its traders don’t have “any special access to client information, marketdata, or trading.” According to the government, those claims have been debunked through witness testimony and internal company documents and text messages.
Alameda’s preferential treatment is spelled out in the two exhibits listed below. They show Alameda’s “allow negative” feature, and a line of credit on FTX that was $65 billion compared to $150 million or less for all other customers on the exchange.
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Google Docs
Executives at FTX and Alameda used Google Docs and Sheets to share important financial information, according to their testimony.
Ellison would send alternative versions of balance sheets, some omitting key financials like the amount of customer funds borrowed by Alameda to cover its liabilities, to Bankman-Fried. He would then decide what to send to lenders.
Bankman-Fried would also consider larger strategy decisions in memos to his top execs.
In one memo, Bankman-Fried laid out the merits of shuttering Alameda, pointing to the “PR hit from Alameda and FTX both existing.” He wrote that, “the current Alameda leadership is good, but not good enough to be able to trust with such a big operation.”
He also wrote personal memos after the business had collapsed.
In a Google Doc dated Dec. 25, Bankman-Fried referenced the $600 million-plus stake in Robinhood he’d acquired with capital from Alameda. He wondered whether he should “try calling up the broker HOOD is with and see if they’ll just give me the shares without thinking about it.”
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
A big part of the government’s case revolves around the ways Bankman-Fried allegedly directed spending of money at Alameda long after he was no longer officially running the hedge fund.
In a message to FTX’s then general counsel Can Sun, Bankman-Fried pushed to get a $250 million transfer to hedge fund Modulo Capital expedited in full within eight hours. Sun later testified about the transaction under a non-prosecution agreement with the government.
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Getting chummy with celebrities
Bankman-Fried’s chummy ties with celebrities and his enthusiasm for spending hundreds of millions of dollars on endorsement deals were areas of focus for the government.
Prosecutors showed the court a spreadsheet of investments made in 2021. They included $205 million for FTX’s naming rights to Miami’s NBA arena, $150 million to Major League Baseball, $28.5 million to NBA star Stephen Curry, $50 million to quarterback Tom Brady and his then wife Giselle Bundchen, and $10 million to comedian Larry David. The deals on the spreadsheet amounted to a total of $1.13 billion.
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Nishad Singh, who was FTX’s director of engineering, testified that the $300 million outlay on investment firm K5 was among the most troubling. He said Bankman-Fried sent him a term sheet detailing hundreds of millions of dollars of bonuses to owners Michael Kives and Bryan Baum. That followed a K5 dinner Bankman-Fried attended alongside Hillary Clinton, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kris and Kylie Jenner.
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Singh said he told Bankman-Fried he was very concerned and that the K5 investment was “value extractive.” He also said he asked Bankman-Fried if the investment was made with his money or FTX’s. The spreadsheet showed it came from Alameda.
In a motion to dismiss a complaint in bankruptcy court against K5, the firm’s lawyers said the “plaintiffs attempt to make Kives and Baum complicit in SBF’s wrongdoing has no basis in fact.”
Government exhibit in the case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Leaked audio
In an all-hands meeting on the evening of Nov. 9, 2022, Alameda Research employees gathered in a circle to listen to Ellison, the CEO, who was sitting on a beanbag. She told staffers about Alameda’s borrowing from FTX, and said the exchange now had a “shortfall of user funds.”
Christian Drappi, a former software engineer at Alameda, was one of the 15 people in attendance at the meeting in the Hong Kong office. Ten others joined via video from the Bahamas.
In his testimony, Drappi described Ellison’s demeanor that night as “sunken.” He said she was “kinda slouching” and “did not display confident body language.”
In the recording of the Ellison meeting that was played for the jury, Drappi can be heard asking about FTX’s plan to pay back customers. Ellison said the company would raise money to fill the hole. Drappi asked Ellison if Alameda’s loans were collateralized through the spot margin group. She said they weren’t, and Drappi said, “That seems pretty bad.”
Caroline Ellison is questioned 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.
Jane Rosenberg | Reuters
Encrypted messages
Of the hundreds of items entered into evidence, a bank of messages on encrypted app Signal paint perhaps the clearest picture of Bankman-Fried’s alleged crimes.
One thread, dubbed “small group chat,” included Ellison, Bankman-Fried, and Joe Bankman, the defendant’s father, who advised the company on tax-related issues and other things. Also in the group were Ramnik Arora, a former product lead for FTX; Ryne Miller, who was the company’s general counsel; Constance Wang, ex-operating chief; and former FTX executive Ryan Salame.
Prosecutors are relying heavily on text messages sent among FTX and Alameda Research executives in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
Early in the morning on Nov. 7, the defendant put forth some “potential todos,” including halting withdrawals, sending a “confident tweet thread” and reaching out to firms such as Silverlake, Sequoia, and Apollo as they “wake up over the next few hours” to try to shore up cash.
Later that morning, Salame linked to a tweet from an anonymous crypto trader saying, “cant wait for my FTX airdrop for not moving any of my funds.”
Bankman-Fried chimed in with different ideas about how to take advantage of the post in an apparent effort to provide false hope to FTX customers that they’d receive free tokens if they kept their funds on the platform.
Prosecutors are relying heavily on text messages sent among FTX and Alameda Research executives in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
The next day, Nov. 8, Ellison appealed to the group for help on optics and public messaging.
She wrote, “multiple people internally asking me whether they should continue to make statements to external parties like ‘Alameda is solvent.’ should i suggest they stall instead? just stall on responding to their messages? or what?”
That’s the same day FTX issued a pause on all customer withdrawals. The price of FTT, FTX’s native token, plummeted by over 75%. Out of options, Bankman-Fried turned to Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, who announced he’d signed a nonbinding letter of intent to acquire FTX.
Prosecutors are relying heavily on text messages sent among FTX and Alameda Research executives in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried.
She proposed saying, “Alameda is probably going to wind down” and that there was “no pressure” to stay but help with “stuff like making sure our lenders get paid” would be “super appreciated.”
Bankman-Fried suggested she say something about there “being a future of some sort for those who are excited.”
Prosecutors are relying heavily on text messages sent among FTX and Alameda Research executives in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried.
Source: SDNY
The author’s visit
Author Michael Lewis, whose book profiling Bankman-Fried was published the day the trial began, was also the subject of some Signal exchanges.
In a chat on Jan. 5, 2022, Bankman-Fried alerted a group that included Ellison and Singh that Lewis would be coming to the Bahamas the next month to do reporting.
Ellison said her “instincts are more toward under the radar.” Bankman-Fried, a notorious press hound, responded, “same, except exactly the opposite.”
As the grand scheme collapsed months later, Ellison expressed a great deal of relief in a private chat with Bankman-Fried.
Ellison wrote, “this is the best mood I’ve been in in like a year tbh” (“tbh” is short for “to be honest”).
In three consecutive messages, Bankman-Fried responded, “wow,” “uh,” “congrats?”
Ellison wrote, “I think I just had an increasing dread of this day that was weighing on me for a long time, and now that it’s actually happening, it just feels great to get it over with one way or another.”
Prosecutors are relying heavily on text messages sent among FTX and Alameda Research executives in the case against Sam Bankman-Fried.
Affordably carry cargo with Heybike’s single or dual-battery Hauler e-bike starting from a $999 low
As part of its Prime Day e-bike Sale, Heybike is offering its Hauler Cargo Single-Battery e-bike at $999 shipped, while the dual-battery counterpart is down at $1,399 shipped. You’d normally shell out $1,499 and $1,899 for these two setups at full price, though discounts regularly bring things down to $1,199 and $1,599, which we have seen go lower a few select times in 2025. Only once before have we seen these two low prices appear, back during the brand’s Memorial Day Sale, with you getting another chance at the $500 savings here today.
Heybike’s Hauler e-bike comes as an affordable means to transport precious cargo, with the 750W brushless geared hub motor peaking at up to 1,400W to tackle inclines and for better pick-up when you’ve got packages, groceries, and more on board. It can max out at 28 MPH speeds in states where it’s allowed, and comes with the two battery options that largely depend on how much travel time you need, with the solo-battery setup giving you up to 55 miles of pedal assisted support and the dual-battery setup increasing that travel range up to 85 miles.
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The Heybike Hauler e-bike boasts a 440-pound payload, as well as foldable running boards for when you want to bring a passenger along, not to mention the obvious integrated rear cargo rack that doubles as the seat. For the price right now, you’re also getting a solid lineup of features, including hydraulic front suspension, hydraulic disc brakes, puncture-protected tires, a Shimano 7-speed derailleur, an auto-on LED headlight, a brake-lighting integrated taillight, and an LCD screen for data and setting adjustments.
Get sectional backup support with EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro and transfer switch + free power bank at $1,709 low
It’s the final day of EcoFlow’s early Prime Day Sale, and the brand’s final flash sale is in full swing through the rest of the day. The flash savings here are taking up to 54% off three units – two power station bundles and a bundle for the brand’s newest AC/heater solution. Leading the sale is the DELTA Pro Portable Power Station that comes with a free transfer switch for $1,709.05 shipped, after using the code EFPDAFF5 at checkout for an additional 5% savings – plus, you’ll also be getting a free RAPID 5,000mAh power bank thrown in too. We’ve been seeing many different flash sales focusing on the DELTA Pro at this same rate during this sale, which usually carries a $3,699 MSRP, though it is regularly sitting around $1,999 from Amazon (currently $1,784 there). Not only are you getting another chance at the biggest savings and the best price here, but you’re doing so while also getting the means for sectional home backup support.
One of the best and most expansive of EcoFlow’s legacy models, the DELTA Pro power station is ready to cover your campsites, outdoor gatherings, and home backup emergencies with a 3,600Wh LiFePO4 capacity that you can expand as high as 25kWh with future investments. There are 14 port options here, through which the station provides up to a steady 3,600W output that can surge up to 7,200W to cover larger appliances. It comes with three primary means to recharge: plugged into a standard outlet, through your car’s auxiliary port, or by connecting up to a maximum 1,600W solar input. The included transfer switch gives you sectional backup support of up to six circuits in your home or on an RV, with it pre-wired for easier installation.
You can also pick up the brand’s DELTA 3 Portable Power Station with a free protective bag at $529 shipped, down from its usual $778 pricing. This is a smaller and more affordable backup option that has a 1,024Wh LiFePo4 capacity and can be expanded up to 5,120Wh with various expansion batteries from across the DELTA ecosystem. It provides 1,800W output, surging to 2,200W when needed, and has 13 total output ports to use for connections to devices and appliances. It also boasts an expanded list of recharging options, including through an AC outlet, with a max 500W solar input, through car charging, generator charging, or there’s the multi-charging option of AC and solar together.
The last of these offers gives you the latest WAVE 3 Portable AC and Heater with an add-on battery and a free bag at $899 shipped, coming down from $1,299. With the battery included here, you can get up to 8 hours of wireless cooling/heating in your tent, car, or anywhere else you’re settling down. The 1,800W output here can “drop temperatures by 15 degrees in 15 minutes,” while the 2,000W heating output hits similar speeds, “raising the temperature by 17 degrees in 15 minutes” – with it able to cover 120 to 180 square feet spaces. There’s even some cool smart control expansions here, including the PetCare mode that automatically starts cooling once temperatures reach 77 degrees, among others.
Get 13.3 feet of reach with Worx’s telescoping Nitro 20V 8-inch cordless pole chainsaw at $119 annual low
Amazon is offering the best pricing of the last year on the Worx Nitro 20V 8-inch Cordless Pole Chainsaw at $119 shipped. Normally, you’d have to shell out $170 for this tool at full price, which we’ve seen discounts taking as low as $120 once over the last 12 months, with prices otherwise keeping above $129. While it has gone lower in past years, you’re looking at the best price we have tracked since summer 2024, giving you $51 in savings off its going rate.
You’ll have plenty of reach to trim high branches with this Worx Nitro pole chainsaw, especially with the telescoping pole allowing for tool-free extensions up to 13.3 feet – plus, it weighs in at just 8 pounds, making it easy to manage and operate, despite varying operator sizes. The 8-inch bar and chain has three different cutting angles (0 degrees, 15 degrees, and 30 degrees) it can be set to, with the automatic oiler keeping things lubricated and running smoothly as you work. What’s more, your comfort has been taken into account with the 180-degree rotating rear handle, allowing you to easily switch between vertical and horizontal cutting positions.
Bring home EGO’s 56V 21-inch cordless electric mower with a 5.0Ah battery and rapid charger at $365
Amazon is offering the EGO Power+ 56V 21-inch Cordless Electric Lawn Mower with 5.0Ah battery and rapid charger at $364.60 shipped. This package would normally go for $430 at full price, which we’ve mostly seen it keeping at over the last 12 months, with few large price cuts on the books in that timeframe. While we have seen it go as low as $309 in the past, over the last 12 months, the rate we’re seeing today has only been beaten out by a short-lived drop to $350 back in April, with it otherwise being the best price we’ve spotted this year thanks to the $65 markdown.
You’ll get a much more budget-friendly means to tackle lawn care with this 56V 21-inch model over EGO’s higher-end mowers, giving you the torque of a gas engine without the noise and fumes. With the included 5.0Ah battery, the brushless motor will get up to 45 continuous minutes of runtime, while the rapid charger can have it back to full at much faster rates than a standard charger. There are six cutting height levels to adjust between (from 1.5 to 4 inches), as well as the versatility to side discharge, mulch, or collect clippings into the two-bushel bag. Not only does it come with an IPX4 weather-resistance construction, but it starts up at the push of a button and folds to a more compact size for easier storage options.
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.
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One of Arizona’s biggest grid battery storage projects is now online and helping power homes as the summer heat ramps up.
Recurrent Energy, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, just brought its 1,200 MWh Papago Storage facility in Maricopa County into commercial operation. The big grid battery is now supplying stored electricity to Arizona Public Service (APS), the state’s largest utility, in time for peak air-conditioning season.
Papago is the first of three Recurrent projects with APS. Together, they’ll provide 1,800 MWh of storage and 150 MW of solar power. That’s enough to run about 72,000 homes for four hours and provide year-round solar for another 24,000 homes.
“Summer is here, and we’re ready to serve APS customers with the energy they need when they need it,” said APS director of resource acquisition Derek Seaman.
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The Arizona Corporation Commission chair, Kevin Thompson, noted that bringing online one of Arizona’s largest battery storage projects during a critical time when energy demand is skyrocketing is a milestone.
Canadian Solar’s e-STORAGE arm built the project and will keep it running under a long-term agreement.
Recurrent CEO Ismael Guerrero said, “We’re proud to deliver flexible capacity that meets the state’s growing energy needs and grateful for APS’s continued partnership.”
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
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Porsche promises the new electric SUV will “set new standards,” and it’s already proving it. Ahead of its upcoming launch, the Porsche Cayenne EV proved its might by towing a 100-year-old classic car and trailer weighing around 3 tons in public.
Porsche Cayenne EV flexes its performance in public
The Porsche Cayenne EV is already smashing records, and it’s not even out yet. Last month, a prototype beat every gas-powered SUV, setting a new SUV record at the Shelsley Walsh hill climb by more than four seconds.
Now, it’s at it again. Porsche showcased a near-production-ready Cayenne EV prototype in England for the first time as part of a public film shoot.
The camouflaged Cayenne EV showcased its impressive power by towing a 100-year-old classic car weighing over 2 tons. Including the trailer, the total weight was around 3 tons.
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British TV presenter Richard Hammond took the Cayenne EV from his workshop in Hereford to his garage, towing the classic car behind.
According to Hammond, the electric SUV “handled it effortlessly,” adding, “We were trailing significant weight behind us, but you wouldn’t know it.”
Porsche Cayenne EV towing a 3-ton trailer and classic car (Source: Porsche)
Porsche designed the Cayenne EV and its high-voltage system, “to be one of the first BEVs in the world to achieve a towing capacity of up to 3.5 tonnes.” Depending on the configuration, it will be just as capable, if not more, than the current combustion-engine Cayenne.
As Michael Schätzle, Vice President of the Product Line Cayenne, explained, “That’s why we didn’t want to make any compromises in the development of the all-electric model.”
Porsche Cayenne EV prototype at Shelsley Walsh 2025 (Source: Porsche)
The Porsche Cayenne EV was initially set to launch this year, but it’s now expected to debut in production form later this year as a 2026 model. A “conspicuously camouflaged prototype” will be on display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed from July 10 to July 13.
More information, including prices and specifications, will be revealed closer to launch. However, we do know that it will be based on the PPE platform, the same one underpinning the Macan EV and the Audi Q6 e-Tron.
The Macan EV has an EPA-estimated range of 308 miles. On the European WLTP scale, it’s rated at 613 km (381 miles). However, Porsche said the platform will receive “comprehensive upgrades” for the Cayenne.
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