Photos show Caroline Ellison entering and leaving the courthouse at ex-boyfriend Sam Bankman-Fried's trial

Wed, 10/11/2023 - 18:05

caroline ellison walking into court — Caroline Ellison arrived on Tuesday to begin her testimony against ex-boyfriend and onetime FTX head Sam Bankman-Fried.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Caroline Ellison's first recent public appearance was Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial this week.
Ellison wore baseball caps and sunglasses as part of her outfits outside the courthouse.
She testified against her ex-boyfriend and former boss on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Caroline Ellison attended Sam Bankman-Fried's trial on Tuesday in New York — her first public appearance since her high-profile ex-boyfriend fell from grace.

Ellison, the former CEO of Bankman-Fried's company Alameda Research, testified against him in his criminal trial on Tuesday. Prior to the appearance, Ellison had all but disappeared from the public eye amid scrutiny and her own legal woes.

She attended the trial again on Wednesday after taking the witness stand the day prior to share details about her relationship with Bankman-Fried and his business dealings.

"The whole time we were dating, he was also my boss, so that created some awkward situations," Ellison said on Tuesday.

On her way into the courtroom, Ellison sported sunglasses and an unbranded blue hat.

Caroline Ellison testified in court on Tuesday. — Caroline Ellison testified in court on Tuesday in New York. She carried a thermos with her — and had on a backpack.
REUTERS

Ellison maintained a professional and personal relationship with Bankman-Fried for years — from her time at Stanford University up until she left her job to work for him at Alameda Research.

When she arrived at the Manhattan federal courthouse on Tuesday, Ellison appeared to barely recognize Bankman-Fried without his signature shaggy curls.

Ellison wore a mauve dress paired with dark stockings to court on Tuesday.

Caroline Ellison former CEO of Alameda Research — Ellison spilled the tea on her personal and professional relationship with Bankman-Fried.
Cheney Orr/Reuters

When she testified against Bankman-Fried on Tuesday, Ellison revealed that the relationship was somewhat one-sided.

"In our personal relationship, there was a feeling that I wanted more in our relationship," Ellison testified. "But I felt like he was distant or not paying enough attention to me."

She kept her hat and glasses on while entering the building, but her accessories like sunglasses were gone when she exited.

Ellison testified that the pair began a romantic relationship in the fall of 2019.

Bankman-Fried worked as a trader at Jane Street where Ellison interned years before they started seeing each other.

Ellison bucked the traditional briefcase or leather satchel for court, and opted for a backpack.

Sam Bankman-Fried's former girlfriend, Caroline Ellison. — Bankman-Fried's former girlfriend carried her thermos through security at Manhattan Federal Court.
BRYAN R. SMITH

She was made co-CEO of his hedge fund, Alameda Research, in 2021 after working there for about four years as a trader.

By 2022, she was the sole CEO. Just in time for it all to come crumbling down.

She ended her day of testifying on Tuesday by making a panicked mistake outside the courthouse.

Caroline Ellison, SBF trial — Caroline Ellison testified for two days at the criminal trial of SBF. Here, she realizes she's apparently gotten into the wrong car.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez

As she left the courthouse on Tuesday, Ellison reportedly got into the wrong vehicle amid all the chaos.

She appeared to panic as she realized the mistake she'd made.

On Wednesday, Ellison decided against pants once again.

The legal blowback from her ex's dealings hit Ellison hard. She faced her own set of criminal charges after her ex was accused of defrauding investors and customers of FTX.

Both Ellison and FTX cofounder Gary Wang pleaded guilty to the fraud charges brought against them in December 2022 and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

The former Alameda Research CEO wore the same red-framed sunglasses and a different unbranded baseball cap on Wednesday.

She and Bankman-Fried were "sleeping together on and off" beginning in 2019, and they became an official couple in 2020.

They tried their best to keep things private from FTX and Alameda while navigating their tumultuous situationship.

Ellison left her sporty grey backpack behind on Wednesday and chose a brown leather one instead.

former alameda research CEO Caroline Ellison — Her rustic bag choice was paired with a black skirt and pantyhose.
Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Ellison kept her blue thermos, but ditched the two-strap backpack in favor of a brown bag that looks like it can be worn on her back or shoulder.

During her Wednesday testimony, Ellison alleged that Bankman-Fried told her to find "alternative ways" to present less attractive information to investors.

Still no flashy jewelry or watches from Ellison in her first public appearance in months.

Ellison told biographer Michael Lewis that she was "terrified" of Bankman-Fried at first and worried she'd made a huge mistake by joining him at Alameda.

When she testified against her ex on Wednesday, she answered many of the prosecutor's questions with, "Sam told me to."

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Photos show Caroline Ellison entering and leaving the courthouse at ex-boyfrien…