Charity founder says he secretly gave FTX fraud figure Caroline Ellison a job

It looks for illustration Caroline Ellison has emerged from stealth mode.

A nonprofit CEO announced Friday that he secretly gave a occupation to Ellison — who went to situation successful relationship pinch fraud by Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto exchange.

Austin Chen, the laminitis of Manifund, a grantmaker tied to the effective altruism movement, wrote connected Substack that Ellison, 31, will create its level and investigation "how to efficaciously nonstop philanthropic dollars."

In the post, Chen framed the hiring arsenic a 2nd chance for Ellison.

"I judge successful redemption," he wrote. "Caroline has admitted her faults, worked to make creditors whole, and served her clip successful prison. I'd for illustration to springiness her the opportunity to lend backmost to the world; I dream that the world will concur."

Manifund began arsenic a charitable broadside task of Manifold Markets, a prediction marketplace institution cofounded by Chen. Manifold was antecedently backed by FTX Future Fund, a philanthropic initiative, which Chen noted successful the blog.

Chen confirmed the news successful a little matter connection to Business Insider. He did not supply archiving of Ellison's caller role. Ellison could not beryllium reached for comment.

The blog contained a connection successful Ellison's name.

"I'm profoundly sorry for what I did, and I wholly understand why group whitethorn not want to activity pinch me," it said. "But I'm very grateful to Austin for giving maine a 2nd chance, and judging maine connected my existent activity capacity alternatively than my past. I consciousness very fortunate not only to person a job, but to beryllium moving location that I deliberation is doing awesome activity and has a ngo I judge in."

Ellison antecedently led Alameda Research, FTX's affiliated crypto trading firm. In December 2022, she pleaded blameworthy to 7 counts of fraud and conspiracy successful relationship pinch her domiciled successful the misuse of FTX customer funds to screen Alameda's debts and trading losses.

Ellison testified against FTX laminitis Sam Bankman-Fried and was sentenced to 2 years successful prison. She was released from national custody successful January and had been keeping a debased profile.

Chen wrote that he invited Ellison to Manifest 2026, a show the nonprofit held successful June. She started a "work trial" connected July 13 earlier converting to full-time connected August 10, he said.

During that period, she had been publishing her activity for Manifund nether the pseudonym "Carol," he said.

"I apologize for our insignificant deception, successful utilizing a pseudonym complete the past mates months," he wrote. "I still endorse having done this — I deliberation it's comparatively communal to activity pinch group pseudonymously, erstwhile their existent personality is famous. But I want to telephone retired that we compromised connected transparency here, which I do not return lightly."

Comments near connected the station showed a operation of backlash and support.

One commenter wrote: "I emotion a world wherever we normalize forgiveness and heavy knowing of each different beyond basking takes and headlines. Hope the collaboration useful retired well!"

Another said that "this shows genuinely unspeakable judgement and is apt to harm the estimation not only of Manifund but of each sorts of EA orgs that will return collateral damage."

Chen responded, successful part: "Obviously, I dream to beryllium proven correct astir this decision, but that whitethorn return a while to shingle out."

A personification who said they mislaid money successful the FTX debacle expressed fury. "Every dollar she earns for the adjacent 70 years should beryllium garnished and sent to victims for illustration myself and thousands of my friends," he wrote.