Trailer For Netflix's THE ALTRUISTS Tackles the Insane $8 Billion FTX Scandal with Anthony Boyle and Julia Garner
Netflix is diving into one of the biggest financial scandals in recent history with The Altruists, an upcoming limited series that tells the wild true story of disgraced cryptocurrency entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried and his former girlfriend and business partner Caroline Ellison.
The streamer has released the first trailer for the eight-episode drama, starring Anthony Boyle as Bankman-Fried and Julia Garner as Ellison.
The series follows two ambitious young people who set out to change the financial world, only to find themselves at the center of a massive fraud scandal involving billions of dollars. It's a pretty crazy story, especially considering how quickly everything came crashing down.
Netflix describes the pair as “Gen Z’s own Bonnie & Clyde,” and the official synopsis offers a look at what viewers can expect:
“Two hyper-smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye — before they were accused of stealing $8 billion.”
Bankman-Fried founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX in 2019 and quickly became one of the most recognizable figures in the crypto industry. He built a financial empire that appeared to be worth billions, but it all fell apart when FTX collapsed amid allegations of widespread fraud.
A federal jury eventually convicted Bankman-Fried on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, resulting in a 25-year prison sentence. Federal prosecutors alleged that he defrauded investors and customers of more than $10 billion through FTX and his cryptocurrency trading firm, Alameda Research.
Ellison served as CEO of Alameda Research and was also romantically involved with Bankman-Fried. Their personal and professional relationship became a major part of the scandal.
The series also features Alex Lawther as Sam Trabucco, Karan Soni as Nishad Singh, Naomi Okada as Claire Watanabe, Madison Hu as Constance Wang, Matt Rife as Ryan Salame, and Eugene Young as Gary Wang.
The supporting cast includes Hudson Williams, Paul Reiser, Robin Weigert, Maddie Hasson, Marianna Phung, Jennifer Grey, Terry Chen, William Mapother, Jack Greenlees, Elizabeth Adams, Hannah Galway, Donald Heng, David James Lewis, and Jasmine Lukuku.
The Altruists draws inspiration from articles published in New York Magazine by Kevin T. Dugan and Jen Wieczner, which explored the people and events surrounding the FTX collapse.
The rise and fall of FTX already has all the ingredients of a crazy Hollywood story with young billionaires, cryptocurrency, questionable financial decisions, a complicated romance, and billions of dollars disappearing.
The Altruists premieres November 19 on Netflix.