Netflix released the first official trailer on Oct. 8 for The Altruists, its FTX-focused limited series. The show runs for eight episodes and is set to debut globally on Nov. 19. Julia Garner plays former Alameda Research chief executive Caroline Ellison, and Anthony Boyle plays FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, or SBF.
In its post on X, Netflix wrote, "All in. Every time." The company said Garner and Boyle star as Ellison and Bankman-Fried in a limited series about the figures behind the FTX scandal.
The trailer opens with a bet on going all in
In a synopsis published by Netflix's Tudum, the series is described as the story of two extraordinarily smart and ambitious young idealists who try to reshape the global financial system in a flash, only to end up accused of stealing $8 billion. Tudum calls them a Gen Z version of Bonnie and Clyde.
According to What’s on Netflix, the trailer begins with the pair discussing the math strategy behind going "all in." It then moves through a luxury penthouse in the Bahamas, a chaotic trading room, and the media and legal pressure that followed reporting by The Wall Street Journal.
Graham Moore says the story starts with a "small white lie"
The series was created, written and executive produced by Graham Moore, who won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Imitation Game. Jacqueline Hoyt is also an executive producer and writer.
Moore said in an interview with Tudum, "I genuinely believe Sam and Caroline were deeply committed altruists from day one, who wanted to do as much good for as many people as possible in their lifetimes." He added that during the years depicted in the show, the two "with the best of intentions, talked each other into, and talked themselves into, committing these horrific crimes."
Moore described the progression as starting with "a small white lie," then moving to "a slightly bigger lie," and then to something larger again. Hoyt said, "Through this relationship, they almost dared each other on, egged each other on, to build this enormous company that was going to change the world ... but also through this relationship, they eventually broke the system and blew an $8 billion hole in FTX."
Higher Ground Productions is involved, and CZ appears as a character
Based on the cast list released by Tudum, the series is adapted from reporting by New York Magazine. It is produced by Higher Ground Productions, the company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama, together with New York Magazine/Vox Media Studios. Garner also serves as an executive producer.
Other cast members include Alex Lawther as Sam Trabucco, Karan Soni as FTX engineering lead Nishad Singh, and Eugene Young as FTX co-founder Gary Wang. Terry Chen plays Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, or CZ. Paul Reiser and Robin Weigert play Bankman-Fried's parents, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried.
Moore also said Garner had only two Ellison recordings to use as reference, while Boyle had a much larger body of video, audio and TikTok material to study. He said he told both actors not to imitate the real people directly, but to imagine who they were when no camera was pointed at them.
Bankman-Fried remains in prison, Ellison has been released
Bankman-Fried was sentenced in 2024 to 25 years in prison on fraud-related charges and remains incarcerated. The report says that in September this year he filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that the $11 billion forfeiture was unconstitutional.
Ellison testified against Bankman-Fried at trial. Tudum said she served more than a year in prison and, after her release, joined the nonprofit Manifund.