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Unchained

SBF Trial, Day 13: Before Judge, Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Gives Few Straight Answers

Oct 27, 2023
In a courtroom drama, the former FTX CEO took the stand, showcasing a range of evasive and convoluted responses. His challenging cross-examination revealed a struggle to answer direct questions about customer funds. The tension escalated as his frequent apologies contrasted with the prosecutor's sharp inquiries. The episode also highlighted the implications of using encrypted messaging and the company's questionable data retention practices.
08:39

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Sam Bankman Free's verbose and evasive responses during cross-examination could pose challenges for him during the upcoming jury trial.
  • Bankman Free's inability to provide a copy of FTX's data retention policy and his vague responses to questions about Signal usage indicate potential gaps in his defense.

Deep dives

Bankman Free's evasive responses during cross-examination

During an evidentiary hearing in the SPF trial, Sam Bankman Free took the stand and faced cross-examination from assistant US attorney Danielle Sassoon. Despite being advised to answer briefly, Bankman Free often provided wordy and run-on responses that seemed evasive. His responses were filled with caveats, apologies, and expressions of uncertainty. At times, the contrast between Sassoon's specific questions and Bankman Free's verbose answers made him appear evasive. Bankman Free's evasive responses could pose challenges for him during the upcoming cross-examination by the jury.

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