Some observers saw Sam Bankman-Fried’s decision to testify in his trial on fraud charges as a Hail Mary pass. But he might not have had any other choice.
Bankman-Fried began testifying before the jury Friday morning, the third witness called by his lawyers, following brief appearances by his Bahamas lawyer and an expert witness who testified about FTX accounts. Essentially, though, the former FTX CEO, who faces up to 110 years of prison time, is on his own. After the powerful testimony against him from his inner circle at FTX and his trading firm, Alameda Research, his testimony might be the only shot he’s got at convincing the jury to acquit him of the seven charges he faces.
