- SBF’s defense counsel tried to argue that the brand endorsements were not all bad for the exchange
- The exchange’s former chief engineer had earlier remarked that Sam’s spending was “excessive”
The criminal trial against Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) continues in all its glory. 17 October started with the cross-examination of FTX’s former Chief Engineer — Nishad Singh. The hearing continues to spill details about SBF’s celebrity fascination, with Singh speaking about an investment in a “tequila brand owned by a famous celebrity.”
SBF’s counsel argues endorsements were good for FTX
The celebrity in question happens to be Kendall Jenner — a popular supermodel and Keeping Up with the Kardashians reality star. According to Reuters, Bankman-Fried had poured in a whopping $216 million in FTX’s customer funds to buy a stake in Jenner’s 818 tequila brand. The former CEO made the investment through a shell company when 818 was valued at $2.94 million.
Notably, over $1 billion of FTX’s funds was spent on celebrity endorsements and marketing, with Singh remarking that SBF’s spending behavior was “excessive”. Furthermore, today, 17 October, the defense counsel pushed back on this remark by claiming that these investments were not “reckless and frivolous”.
Defense lawyer – Mark Cohen – even asked Singh if he thought these endorsements could have been useful for FTX’s brand. To which, Singh stated that he “understood it had business costs and benefits”.
Furthermore, Singh also agreed that he initially believed that Alameda Research’s right to backstop some trades was to protect customer funds. According to Financial Times, he said, “My view at the time [was that] it would be helpful for customers.”
FTX’s bankruptcy proceedings make headway
While the
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Author: Priya NV
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