Ryan Salame, the former CEO of FTX Digital Markets, is headed to prison, but not before sharing his side of the story. Ryan talks candidly about the decisions he made at FTX, why he withdrew millions of dollars worth of assets in the days leading up to its bankruptcy, and the backstory behind the Thai prostitute trading scheme to unfreeze Alameda’s funds in China. He also disputes the claims about his campaign finance violations, while explaining why he thinks Caroline Ellison is “at least as guilty as SBF” and that Nishad Singh lied.
Show highlights:
- Ryan’s life pre-FTX and how he got into crypto
- His three attempts to quit working at FTX
- How Ryan committed campaign finance violations
- Why Ryan disputes claims that FTX misled banks and misused customer funds
- How Ryan was involved in setting up trading accounts with the identities of Thai prostitutes to unfreeze Alameda’s funds
- Whether Ryan was involved in bribing a Chinese official
- Why he withdrew millions of dollars worth of assets from his FTX accounts right before its bankruptcy
- Why Ryan claims he was cooperative with prosecutors, despite common belief
- How he refuses to comment on his wife Michelle Bond's case, but denies wrongdoing
- Why Ryan pleaded the Fifth Amendment
- His allegations that prosecutors lied to his lawyers about whether they would pursue charges against Michelle
- Why he thinks that SBF could have never coerced Caroline Ellison and whether Ellison is “equally guilty” as SBF
- Why Ryan believes Nishad Singh lied to save himself and his take on Gary Wang
- How, if he didn’t know about the fraud, he could be so certain that Caroline or Nishad lied
- Whether the legal advice from FTX’s and Alameda’s lawyers should have been considered in Bankman-Fried's trial
- Whether testimony from more employees could have created reasonable doubt in SBF's trial
- Why Ryan is going to law school
- His plans post-prison
- What Ryan learned from the FTX debacle
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