Manifund2026-09-15 17:10:25Manifund hires Caroline Ellison while facing FTX suit over at least $1.508 millionManifund, the charity founded by Austin Chen and focused on AI and effective altruism, has acknowledged hiring former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, according to Protos. The move has drawn scrutiny because FTX is still pursuing litigation tied to funding Chen’s organization received from the FTX Future Fund in 2022. Protos said Chen’s group, then operating as Manifold Markets, applied in March 2022 for $500,000 to launch Manifold For Charity, now known as Manifund. The report noted that William MacAskill and Leopold Aschenbrenner, both described as important figures in effective altruism, helped run the Future Fund and therefore helped approve the grant application. After FTX and Alameda entered bankruptcy six months later, criminal cases followed for Sam Bankman-Fried, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, and Nishad Singh. Protos said Bankman-Fried received a 25-year sentence, Ellison received two years and was released in January 2026, while Wang and Singh received no prison time. During that period, Manifund said it funded nearly 500 projects and distributed almost $20 million in grants. Still, FTX sued Manifold Markets in 2024 for $508,000, and in July 2025 added Manifold For Charity to an amended complaint seeking no less than $1.508 million. Protos said the case is ongoing and no resolution has been reached.790
Caroline Elli2026-09-14 10:27:07Caroline Ellison Joins Manifund, Sparking Backlash Across Effective Altruism CirclesCaroline Ellison, the former Alameda Research CEO and onetime collaborator and partner of Sam Bankman-Fried, has joined Manifund, a nonprofit that backs artificial intelligence safety and effective altruism work. Cofounder Austin Chen said Ellison started a trial on July 13, moved into a full-time role on Aug. 10, and had been working under the pseudonym Carol before the appointment was disclosed publicly. According to Chen, she helped build Manifund’s funding platform, supported users, and created a reconciliation tool that identified several misregistered transactions in the organization’s database involving five- and six-figure sums. Chen also apologized for what he described as a minor deception tied to the use of a pseudonym. The announcement drew a swift and largely negative response. Critics including Cate Hall argued the hiring reflected poor judgment and could damage not only Manifund’s standing but also that of other effective altruism organizations. Another commenter questioned whether the role had been publicly posted or whether other candidates were considered, saying Chen’s justifications appeared mostly personal rather than business-based. Ellison said she appreciated being judged on her present work rather than her past and would not respond to comments. Her legal history remains central to the reaction: she pleaded guilty in December 2022 to fraud and conspiracy charges, was sentenced in September 2024 to two years in prison, began serving that sentence in November, and was released in January after 440 days, with credit for cooperation and good conduct.810
Caroline Elli2026-09-12 08:46:13Caroline Ellison takes role at Manifund after release, joining AI safety charity workCaroline Ellison, the former chief executive of Alameda Research, has taken a full-time role at Manifund, an AI safety and effective altruism charity, in her first disclosed job since leaving prison. Manifund co-founder Austin Chen said on Sept. 11 that Ellison joined to help build the group’s fundraising platform and strengthen its public-interest projects. According to the organization, she began working in July on a trial basis, switched to full-time in August, and initially published under the pseudonym "Carol" before her identity was made public this week. Ellison said she was grateful for a second chance and said she was being judged on her current work rather than her past. Chen said he believed she could seek redemption, pointing to her admission of wrongdoing, efforts to help creditors recover funds, and completion of her sentence. The hire revives debate tied to the FTX collapse: whether cooperation, testimony, and prison time should be enough to reopen a path back into public life, especially while victims have not been fully repaid. The report also contrasts Ellison’s situation with that of Sam Bankman-Fried, who received a 25-year sentence and remains in prison.820
Caroline Elli2026-09-11 21:44:35Caroline Ellison joins nonprofit Manifund to work on donation platformCaroline Ellison, the former chief executive of Alameda Research, has joined nonprofit charity Manifund, according to ChainCatcher. Manifund co-founder Austin Chen said Ellison will work on the organization’s donation platform and help strengthen its charitable efforts. She began in a trial role in July, moved to full-time status in August, and posted work updates under the alias “Carol.” Ellison previously pleaded guilty in December 2022 to fraud and conspiracy charges tied to the 2022 collapse of FTX, a failure that led to billions of dollars in customer losses. She later cooperated with prosecutors and testified against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Ellison began serving a two-year sentence in November 2024 and was released early in January 2026 after cooperating with investigators. Chen said he believes in redemption, adding that Ellison admitted her wrongdoing, worked to repay creditors, and served time in prison. Ellison said she is excited about the new role, apologized for her past conduct, and thanked Chen for giving her a second chance. Manifund’s website says the organization focuses on AI safety and effective altruism projects.780
FTX2026-08-31 16:03:35CFTC settles with former FTX executives Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, bars both from trading and registrationThe U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has reached settlements with former FTX executives Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang and issued consent orders that permanently bar both from trading in CFTC-regulated markets and from registering with the agency. According to CFTC filings, the agreements do not add new civil monetary penalties, but they do impose permanent restrictions on the two former executives’ future participation in activities under the regulator’s jurisdiction. The action is part of the civil regulatory fallout from the collapse of FTX and is aimed at holding individuals tied to the case accountable. Ellison and Wang had previously cooperated as key witnesses in the criminal trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. The settlements show that U.S. regulators are still dealing with the legal and regulatory consequences of the exchange’s failure.830
FTX2026-08-31 09:25:04U.S. sold forfeited Anthropic stakes linked to Ellison and Singh, but sale terms remain undisclosedThe U.S. government previously seized Anthropic shares held by two key allies of former FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried — Caroline Ellison and Nishad Singh — and sold those stakes to existing Anthropic investors in 2025. Even so, the identities of the buyers, the sale price, and the amount ultimately received by the government have not been disclosed. A court had earlier ruled that Ellison and Singh must forfeit their Anthropic holdings. The U.S. government took control of their shares in February and April 2025, respectively. The two had originally invested $10 million and $40 million in Anthropic’s 2022 Series B round. As Anthropic’s valuation climbed sharply, the value of those stakes rose with it. UCLA professor Olav Sorenson estimated that, based on the company’s stated $96.5 billion valuation in May this year, the combined holdings were worth about $4.17 billion to $5.03 billion. If Anthropic were to go public at a $2 trillion valuation in the future, the stakes could be worth around $5.44 billion. It also remains unclear how much the government realized from the sale. Estimates cited in the report suggest proceeds could have ranged from roughly $250 million to $1.1 billion depending on when in 2025 the transaction took place. As of the end of June 2026, those proceeds did not appear to have entered the FTX bankruptcy estate.1050
CFTC2026-08-21 00:52:38CFTC closes enforcement cases against two FTX co-founders with five-year trading bansThe U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission said the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has entered supplemental consent orders resolving its enforcement cases against former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison and Alameda and FTX co-founder Gary Wang. Both remain obligated to cooperate with the CFTC’s ongoing investigation. Ellison received a five-year trading ban and a 10-year registration ban, while Wang received a five-year trading ban and an eight-year registration ban. The bans are calculated from the effective date of the initial consent orders signed on Dec. 23, 2022. The CFTC said it is not currently seeking additional restitution, disgorgement, or civil monetary penalties from either defendant. Its Division of Enforcement said both provided substantial assistance in the investigation and related litigation, including pleading guilty in federal criminal cases and helping investigators examine matters tied to FTX. In 2022, the court found Ellison liable for two fraud violations alleged by the CFTC and Wang liable for one fraud charge. Both were also permanently barred from violating the Commodity Exchange Act and related CFTC anti-fraud provisions.1210
CFTC2026-08-20 10:18:27CFTC Settles FTX Cases Against Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang With Trading Bans, No Monetary PenaltiesThe U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission said the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has entered supplemental consent orders against Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang, closing the agency’s enforcement actions tied to FTX. Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research, received a five-year trading ban and a 10-year registration ban. Wang, a co-founder of Alameda and FTX, received a five-year trading ban and an eight-year registration ban. The bans run from Dec. 23, 2022, the date of the initial consent orders, putting the trading restrictions through the end of 2027, Ellison’s registration ban through the end of 2032, and Wang’s through the end of 2030. The CFTC said it is not seeking restitution, disgorgement, or civil monetary penalties at this time, citing in part the pair’s cooperation in its FTX investigations and related proceedings, as well as the $11.020 billion forfeiture order in the parallel criminal cases. Both Ellison and Wang must continue cooperating with the Commission.1130
