Sam Bankman-Fried’s Dad Thought His Son Wasn’t Paying Him Enough, So He Got Mom Involved

“Just hold until ma hears astir this.”

For immoderate kid, this mightiness not beryllium an appealing acceptable of words for a begetter to utter.

Some mentation of that warning, though, allegedly played a behind-the-scenes relation successful however Sam Bankman-Fried’s once-$32 cardinal crypto elephantine was run, according to a new tribunal filing successful the company’s bankrupty case.

Bankman-Fried’s dad, Joe Bankman, was paid a $200,000 wage by FTX’s U.S. division, according to the filing from FTX’s bankruptcy estate, which just sued the parents. But that wasn’t enough, helium said, telling an FTX enforcement successful a Jan. 12, 2022, connection that helium was expected to get $1 cardinal annually starting the erstwhile month, according to the filing.

Then helium emailed his son. “Gee, Sam I don’t cognize what to accidental here,” helium wrote, according to the filing. “This is the archetypal [I] person heard of the 200K a twelvemonth salary! Putting Barbara connected this.”

Barbara is erstwhile FTX CEO Bankman-Fried’s mom, Barbara Fried.

“Bankman’s power paid off, not lone for him, but for Fried too,” FTX’s bankruptcy property said successful the Monday filing. “Within 2 weeks, Bankman-Fried talented Bankman and Fried unneurotic $10 cardinal successful funds originating from Alameda Ltd. Within 3 months, Bankman-Fried caused the mates to beryllium deeded a $16.4 cardinal spot successful The Bahamas paid for with funds yet provided by FTX Trading.”

Elsewhere successful the document, there’s different assertion that Bankman-Fried’s parents played a cardinal relation successful his business. As aboriginal arsenic 2018, Bankman called Alameda Research – the trading steadfast Bankman-Fried founded that played a cardinal relation successful the empire’s demise – a “family business,” a statement helium utilized repeatedly, according to the filing.

It was already known Bankman-Fried’s interior ellipse played large roles astatine his companies, but this latest revelation suggests an antithetic household dynamic – a genitor taking vantage of their unsocial leverage implicit their kid – was besides perchance astatine play.

As CoinDesk revealed past year, Bankman-Fried’s roommates were elder executives, including ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison, who ran FTX’s sister company, Alameda Research. And, adjacent earlier the empire’s November 2022 collapse, it was known that Bankman-Fried’s dada was progressive with FTX.

Referring to the suit brought Monday against Bankman and Fried, their 2 attorneys told CoinDesk: "This is simply a unsafe effort to intimidate Joe and Barbara and undermine the assemblage process conscionable days earlier their child's proceedings begins. These claims are wholly false. [John J. Ray III, FTX’s bankruptcy-era CEO] and his monolithic squad of lawyers, who are collectively moving up countless millions of dollars successful fees portion returning comparatively small to FTX clients, cognize better."

Amitoj Singh contributed reporting to this story.