Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File PhotoNEW YORK, Oct 27 - Sam Bankman-Fried, testifying in his own defense at his fraud trial on Friday, acknowledged that a "lot of people got hurt" when the FTX cryptocurrency exchange he founded collapsed but said he did not defraud anyone or steal customer funds.
Shortly after taking the witness stand in Manhattan federal court, Bankman-Fried said he made many mistakes while running the now-bankrupt exchange, mainly by not implementing a dedicated risk management team. "We thought that we might be able to build the best product on the market," Bankman-Fried said. "It turned out basically the opposite of that. A lot of people got hurt, customers, employees, and the company ended up in bankruptcy."
His testimony marked the first time the 12 jurors and five alternates are hearing directly from the 31-year-old former billionaire after 12 trial days. Prosecutors accuse Bankman-Fried of using FTX customer funds to prop up his crypto-focused hedge fund, Alameda Research, make speculative venture investments and donate more than $100 million to U.S. political campaigns. He also faces charges of scheming to cheat Alameda's lenders and FTX investors.Bankman-Fried's trial, which began on Oct. 3, is drawing to a close nearly a year after FTX collapsed amid a wave of customer withdrawals.