Netflix releases trailer for the FTX series, which will premiere on November 19

"Altruists" trailer released: Netflix is about to reveal the story behind the $8 billion FTX scandal

Netflix has released a trailer for its eight-episode series "The Altruists." The show focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried, Caroline Ellison and the $8 billion FTX scandal and is scheduled to premiere on November 19.

Plot Core and Character Interpretation

All eight episodes of "The Altruist" will be available on Netflix on November 19. Anthony Boyle plays Sam Bankman-Fried, and Julia Garner plays Caroline Ellison, former head of Alameda Research. The trailer provides an in-depth look at the two men's relationship and their key decisions before the collapse of the encryption business.

Bankman-Fried is currently serving a 25-year sentence and has requested a review of his conviction by the Supreme Court. Netflix announced the trailer on October 8, presenting the series through the relationship between former CEO Ellison and the head of its related party trading firm, Al Ameda Research. Supporting descriptions on the platform portray the pair as idealists who had planned to reshape the financial system only to be destroyed by crimes involving billions of dollars.

Moral dilemma and the distortion of "effective altruism"

In the clip released by Netflix, Garner played Ellison: "It's not bad to lie for a noble purpose." Another line describes "all in every time" as the "mathematically optimal strategy," juxtaposing the way characters approach risk with their claimed belief in "doing good."

During his criminal trial in 2023, Ellison testified that Bankman-Fried believed that based on his interpretation of "effective altruism," rules limiting lying and stealing might not necessarily apply. Her testimony involved a philosophy that focused on doing as much good as possible, including achieving this goal by making money and donating to charity.

For Graham Moore, the show's creator and co-program coordinator, the story follows a group of people who initially have charitable intentions and then convince themselves to commit a crime. According to the Netflix trailer, Moore describes an escalating pattern of dishonesty that starts with the initial "little lies" and worsens over time.

Joint program coordinator Jacqueline Hoyt said the couple encouraged each other to build a company they believed could change the financial industry, but ultimately their relationship also led to the company's destruction. Both writers revolve the core of the play around the characters 'motivations and personal decisions.

Strong production lineup and cast list

Netflix 确认了该剧的主演阵容，安东尼·博尔斯饰演班克曼-弗里德，朱莉娅·加纳饰演埃里森。此前的公告指出，由巴拉克和米歇尔·奥巴马创立的制作公司 Higher Ground 担任制片人。

除了两位主角外，Netflix 的演员名单还包括：

• 亚历克斯·劳瑟（Alex Lawther）饰演前阿尔阿梅达联席负责人萨姆·特拉布科（Sam Trabucco）
• 马特·莱夫（Matt Rife）饰演前 FTX 高管瑞安·萨拉梅（Ryan Salame）
• 卡兰·索尼（Karan Soni）饰演尼沙德·辛格（Nishad Singh）
• 尤金·杨（Eugene Young）饰演加里·王（Gary Wang）

此外，保罗·雷瑟（Paul Reiser）饰演班克曼-弗里德的父亲乔·班克曼（Joe Bankman），罗宾·韦格特（Robin Weigert）饰演其母亲芭芭拉·弗里德（Barbara Fried）。詹妮弗·格雷（Jennifer Grey）饰演埃里森的母亲莎拉·费舍尔·埃里森（Sarah Fisher Ellison），陈泰铭（Terry Chen）饰演币安创始人赵长鹏（Changpeng Zhao）。

In production instructions, Netflix identified Moore and Hoyt as co-program coordinators, co-writers and executive producers. James Ponsoldt directed the first episode, and the show was inspired in part by a report in New York Magazine. Moore told Netflix that the show explores private interactions outside of publicly recorded events. The platform's announcement confirmed that viewers will watch all eight episodes at one time on November 19.

Legal Facts: Funds whereabouts and verdict details

After FTX collapsed in November 2022 and filed for bankruptcy, U.S. authorities filed criminal charges against Bankman-Fried and other executives. Ellison pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors before testifying against her former colleague and boyfriend in court.

The U.S. Department of Justice stated in a March 2024 sentencing statement that Bankman-Fried stole more than $8 billion in client funds, defrauded FTX investors of more than $1.7 billion, and defrauded Al-Ameda lenders of more than $1.3 billion. According to the Justice Department's description of trial evidence and court documents, customer deposits were used for investments, political donations, real estate purchases and repayment of Al-Ameda's loan. Prosecutors said Bankman-Fried publicly claimed that client funds were safe and separated from company assets, while directing funds to trading companies.

The Justice Department also noted that he instructed colleagues to change FTX's system so that Al-Ameda could withdraw essentially unlimited cryptocurrency. Its accounts describe false financial statements provided to lenders, false income and profit data provided to investors, and backdated documents used to cover up behavior.

After a jury convicted Bankman-Fried on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan sentenced him to 25 years in prison, three years of supervised release and more than $11 billion in confiscated property. The Justice Department said Kaplan authorized the confiscated funds to be used to compensate victims.

Subsequent appeals and status quo

In a report released on August 6, the exchange's founder's 25-year sentence was upheld by a Second Circuit Court of Appeals order filed on August 4, giving effect to the court's June decision. According to reports, the appeals panel rejected Bankman-Fried's claim that potential repayment would weaken the fraud case. The judge held that whether or not he believed the funds could be returned in the future, fraud had occurred when customers 'money flowed to Al-Ameda without authorization.

A follow-up report on September 11 detailed the Supreme Court review request he filed the day before. His lawyers challenged defensive evidentiary limits on FTX assets and repayments from potential customers. The petition also reportedly challenges approximately $11.02 billion in forfeiture orders under the Eighth Amendment's "excessive fines clause." Bankman-Fried has separately sought a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.

As for Ellison, a federal prison record cited on December 25, 2024 showed his release date as January 21. Reports said that after she was sentenced to two years in prison in September 2024, she was transferred to community detention in October 2025. In a separate enforcement notice in December 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Ellison agreed to accept a ten-year ban on executives and directors. The agency also said she, Wang and Singh agreed to accept a permanent injunction prohibiting violations of securities anti-fraud regulations and to accept specific behavioral restrictions for five years, subject to court approval.