Sam Bankman-Fried just failed the most important exam of his life
At a glance Under cross-examination on Monday, Sam Bankman-Fried was evasive when confronted with his own incriminating comments — seemingly failing what may prove to have been the biggest exam of his life. Judge Kaplan was visibly irritated with Bankman-Fried, at one point snapping at the FTX founder to “just answer the question.” Bankman-Fried’s evasion tactics included splitting hairs and conveniently failing to recall events that would have made a lasting impression on most. On Monday October 30, Sam Bankman-Fried took the stand in his own defense, facing cross-examination by Assistant US Attorney Danielle Sassoon. The proceedings frequently verged on farce, as the FTX founder was again and again confronted with seemingly hard evidence of fraudulent claims made by him over the years. Sassoon presented Bankman-Fried with a relentless catalog of his own direct quotes and official FTX promotional material that touted the exchange as safe, or that denied...