A star witness has given proof on the trial of fallen crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried – telling the court docket he directed her to commit fraud.

Caroline Ellison was the CEO of Alameda Research – a hedge fund linked to the doomed FTX trade – and was the one-time billionaire’s girlfriend.

She informed the court docket that Alameda used $10bn (£8.14bn) of funds belonging to FTX prospects to repay money owed and make investments with out their information.

Read extra: How FTX founder went from star-studded £21bn empire

Ms Ellison, who has already entered a plea take care of prosecutors within the hope of a lesser sentence, described Bankman-Fried as a “very ambitious” younger man who needed to make use of his huge fortune to wield affect.

She went on to disclose that he thought he had a 5% probability of being US president in the future.

During her look on the New York trial, Ms Ellison claimed Bankman-Fried had arrange the programs that allowed buyer funds to be misused.

She additionally alleged the 31-year-old had shared deceptive details about the well being of his enterprise with lenders.

Prosecutors have accused Bankman-Fried of spending numerous hundreds of thousands on luxurious actual property and political donations, with Ms Ellison telling the court docket that he donated $10m (£8.14bn) to Joe Biden’s presidential marketing campaign in 2020.

FTX was the world’s second-largest trade, and earlier than it all of a sudden collapsed final November, Bankman-Fried was price $32bn (£26bn) on paper – rubbing shoulders with A-list celebrities and advising US politicians on how the business ought to be regulated.

When the disaster hit, his internet price plunged by 94% in a single day – the largest wealth collapse a billionaire has ever suffered in such a brief area of time.

Bankman-Fried’s legal professionals have sought to argue that Ms Ellison bears some accountability for FTX’s demise – depicting him as a CEO who was unfold too skinny, and somebody who wanted to depend on senior executives to place safeguards in place.

But she poured chilly water on this narrative – telling the court docket she at all times consulted him on massive selections, and at all times deferred to him.

“He was the person I officially reported to, he owns the company, and he was the one who set my compensation and had the ability to fire me if he wanted,” she stated.

Ellison went on to disclose that she was paid a wage of $200,000 (£162,792) as Alameda’s CEO, and obtained a £20m (£16.2m) bonus in 2021.

Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to 2 counts of fraud and 5 counts of conspiracy – arguing that he by no means meant to steal buyer funds. If convicted, he may face over 100 years behind bars.

Three members of his internal circle have pleaded responsible to fraud fees, and Ms Ellison is the second to provide proof.

‘If the jury can keep awake to listen to it’

Blockworks opinion editor Molly Jane Zuckerman, who was in court docket, informed Sky News three members of the jury fell asleep in the course of the listening to – an indication that the difficult nature of the case could also be tough to observe.

She added: “Sam Bankman-Fried’s defence has a tough task ahead, if the jury can stay awake to hear it.

“The prosecution has a heavy line-up of former FTX senior executives with cooperation offers, all absolutely able to admit their guilt and take Sam together with them.”

Read extra:
Inside the wild world of crypto casinos
Who is Sam Bankman-Fried?
How FTX collapsed in just three days

Before the trial started, Bankman-Fried shared Ms Ellison’s non-public diary entries with The New York Times, by which the 28-year-old described being overwhelmed with work and upset about their break-up.

That led the decide to revoke his $250m (£203m) bail, and he was despatched to jail for possible witness tampering.

The six-week trial continues.