On day one of Sam Bankman-Fried’s criminal trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon rattled off a lengthy list of potential witnesses who might be called to testify for either the government or the defense.
The list, which was compiled jointly by both sides, was released during the afternoon session and included Bankman-Fried’s brother, Gabe, as well his parents, Allan Joseph Bankman and his wife, Barbara Fried.
Parents of the disgraced former CEO of FTX are themselves the subject of new scrutiny. Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX is looking to claw back luxury property and “millions of dollars in fraudulently transferred and misappropriated funds” from Bankman-Fried’s parents, alleging that they both “exploited their access and influence within the FTX enterprise to enrich themselves, directly and indirectly, by millions of dollars.”
Also on the list of potential witnesses were multiple former FTX executives and employees, including:
- Caroline Ellison, Alameda’s ex-CEO and Bankman-Fried’s former romantic partner
- Gary Wang, FTX co-founder and Bankman-Fried’s childhood friend from math camp
- Nishad Singh, FTX ex-engineering head
- Ryne Miller, FTX US general counsel
- Daniel Friedberg, FTX’s former chief regulatory officer.
Ellison, who is the former chief executive of Alameda Research, and FTX co-founder Wang, both pleaded guilty in December to multiple charges and have been cooperating with the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan for months.
Investors and other high-profile names included:
- Anthony Scaramucci, founder of SkyBridge Capital and a friend and business partner of Bankman-Fried
- Alfred Lin from venture capital investor Sequoia Capital
- Zac Prince, CEO of the bankrupt crypto company BlockFi.
Other entities that may take the witness stand included various venture funds and crypto-focused companies like Genesis, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Ontario Teachers Pension Fund, Third Point, Signature Bank, and Voyager Digital. Many of these businesses were hurt or wiped out by the collapse in cryptocurrency prices triggered in part by FTX’s implosion.
Jurors were also asked during the afternoon session if anybody had watched the recent “60 Minutes” interview with author Michael Lewis, who has been extensively documenting Bankman-Fried’s activities for a profile book about FTX being released this week. Many of them raised their hands.