NPR

Criminal mastermind or hapless dude? A look into Sam Bankman-Fried's trial so far

The trial of the former FTX CEO concluded its second week, featuring explosive testimony from Caroline Ellison, a former girlfriend of Bankman-Fried.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the courthouse following his arraignment in New York City on Dec. 22, 2022. Bankman-Fried's trial just concluded its second week, with explosive testimony from former girlfriend Caroline Ellison.

The U.S. government says disgraced cryptocurrency mogul Sam Bankman-Fried committed one of the largest financial frauds in history. His defense lawyers, however, argue he was just a young guy who got in over his head.

Two weeks into the high-profile criminal trial of the former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, jurors have already heard opening arguments as well as testimony from the prosecution's star witness, Caroline Ellison, a former top executive in Bankman-Fried's crypto empire and his ex-girlfriend.

Here are five big takeaways from the trial so far.

Painting Bankman-Fried as a criminal mastermind

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