On October 8, Netflix released the first trailer for the eight-episode limited series "The Altruists," with all episodes set to launch on November 19. The series depicts the relationship between FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, as well as the collapse of this cryptocurrency trading empire in 2022.

The official synopsis describes the two as extremely intelligent, ambitious young idealists who aimed to reshape the global financial system in the blink of an eye, only to be accused of stealing $8 billion and being portrayed as the Bonnie and Clyde of Generation Z. Bankman-Fried is played by Anthony Boyle, while Ellison is portrayed by Julia Garner, who also serves as an executive producer. In the trailer, Boyle's character states that it can be called FTX, and outside is the wilderness; whoever arrives first has the chance to do something truly good.

The creators are Graham Moore, who collaborates with Jacqueline Hoyt as the showrunner. Executive producers include Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground, as well as New York Magazine and Vox Media Studios' Scoop Wasserstein. The first episode is directed by James Ponsoldt. Other cast members include Sam Trabucco, Nishad Singh, Ryan Salame, Gary Wang, and Constance Wang. The U.S. government's allegations state that through FTX and the affiliated trading company Alameda, they defrauded investors and customers of over $10 billion. Ellison testified in court that Bankman-Fried instructed her to use customer funds to buy properties, make political donations, and provide financial support to Alameda.

The real-life outcomes are already written on the promotional page. Ellison has served over a year in prison, while Bankman-Fried is still serving a 25-year sentence. In 2024, federal judge Lewis A. Kaplan stated that the two may have committed the largest financial fraud in U.S. history. Moore noted that during the years depicted in the series, the two, with the best intentions, persuaded each other and themselves to commit a series of serious crimes; the lies evolved from a small white lie to a slightly larger lie, and then to an even bigger lie.

FTX initially grew out of Alameda. Bankman-Fried and Gary Wang founded the exchange, with Ellison later becoming CEO of Alameda, and the two had a romantic relationship. After the platform's token price plummeted and users began to withdraw, approximately $8 billion of customer funds were found to be missing. The series portrays this as the rise and fall of star-crossed lovers, rather than a documentary.

This is a content schedule, not a debt allocation. The buyers are the subscription users who will have access to all eight episodes on November 19, while the sellers are Netflix and Higher Ground, who have turned the already adjudicated case into a limited series. The funds do not go into the FTX liquidation pool. The beneficiaries are the streaming platform that uses real names and $8 billion to promote the series, while the clients, still pursuing recovery and discovering that their deposits have become part of a love story, are under pressure. Sentencing and testimonies have been made public, and the series adds the elements of intention and how lies grow larger.

Source: Public Information