Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Caroline Ellison had an important role in sending FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) to prison. Judge Lewis Kaplan said SBF's ex-girlfriend's testimony would always stay with him.

Kaplan sentenced Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison. This is related to the theft of US$ 8 billion in FTX customers' money which caused the company to go bankrupt.

“I think back to Ellison's testimony that he [SBF] knew it was wrong, it was a criminal act,” said Kaplan at the sentencing hearing, quoted from CNBC InternationalMonday (1/4/2024).

Ellison is known as the leader of Alameda Research. The company is a sister company of FTX.

The case also dragged his name. He pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and money laundering.

Especially for the SBF case, he became a sanction. Because the relationship with SBF has been quite complex and important in recent years.

Ellison met SBF while still working at Jane Street. Bankman-Fried has also worked there before.

SBF invited Ellison to quit his job and join Alameda. The personal relationship between the two has been on and off for years.

Photo: Twitter Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison. Alameda Research is a sister company to crypto exchange FTX.

Ellison wrote that his job with former co-CEO Sam Trabucco was to survive and also try to fix problems.

In his testimony, Ellison admitted that there was no dividing wall between the FTX and Alameda businesses. Apart from that, he said that the separation from SBF in 2022 would disrupt communication between the two.

Exchange partner

Over the years, Ellison has been known to write about his work life. One of them was in February 2022, he said he was overwhelmed by his work.

Details from a blog associated with Ellison begin to explain his personal beliefs and philosophy regarding polyamory and sexual competition, interest in race science, and belief in the natural synergy between crypto and fraud.

The Tumblr account, active from 2014 until its deletion, used the names “Fake Charity Nerd Girl” and “worldoptimization.” The personal details revealed by the author of the account over his eight years of activity – including educational history, professional history, and life history – match Ellison's biography closely.

The $35 million penthouse where Sam Bankman-Fried and his co-workers live. (SDNY via CNBC.com Screenshot)

Furthermore, when the account creators announced that they were opening a Twitter account in March 2021, they linked to Ellison's Twitter page, which was created that same month.

Decrypt contacted Ellison to confirm the account owner, but did not immediately receive a response.

In his Tumblr, Ellison talks about the sexual dynamics at FTX headquarters in the Bahamas.

“When I started my life in [hubungan] poly[amorous], I think this is a big step up from my traditional past. But to be honest, I decided that the poly lifestyle was more like the life of a concubine in imperial China.”

The account then tells in detail the dynamics of polyamorous life similar to the fierce market competition of power and sexual competition.

However, what is most ironic is his writing about crypto. Ellison wrote, “Most of these are just scams and memes if you really pay attention.”

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(dem/dem)