
Caroline Ellison said Sam Bankman-Fried aspired to one day become the president of the United States of America, a former CEO of Alameda Research.
Ellison testified on Tuesday in a downtown Manhattan federal courtroom that she had first began engaging in a sexual relationship with Bankman-Fried during the summer of 2020 and said the pair had an on-and-off relationship. While dating, she said FTX cofounder told her about his plans to become president while they were dating. The Wall Street Journal reported that the FTX cofounder had a 5% chance he would become the president one day.
The former CEO of FTX's sister company took to the witness stand yesterday. She told jurors that she conspired with Bankman-Fried and other members of his inner circle to defraud customers and investors of FTX, his cryptocurrency exchange.
Ellison pleaded guilty to charges of fraud in December and is cooperating with investigators. Bankman-Fried faces seven charges and has pleaded not guilty to them.
Bankman-Fried, 31, has not expressed political ambitions in the past. He'd have to be 35 years old to run for president. He has been a supporter of both Republican and Democratic candidates, both of whom have been active contributors.
He has mainly contributed to the Democrat candidates.
Bankman-Fried's biographer, Michael Lewis, revealed last week that the FTX cofounder even considered paying Donald Trump to run for the presidency in the 2024 election.
Lewis said the number that was 'kicked around' was $5 billion, but he was not sure whether the figure had come directly from Trump. Trump'spokesman Lloyd Lee said SBF has been 'outed' as a fraudster and someone that can't be trusted.