SBF’s Legal Team Counters DOJ on Anthropic Evidence

• Sam Bankman-Fried’s attorneys want to include his Anthropic Investment in the list of defense evidence.
• The prosecution had previously filed to exclude the former CEO’s investments, arguing that the evidence may be misleading for the jury and FTX creditors.
• The defense team contends that investment evidence is crucial to reaffirming SBF’s good faith.

As the high-stakes trial against Sam Bankman-Fried unfolds, mounting evidence and testimonies point to alleged misconduct and fraudulent practices that led up to the downfall of his now-defunct exchange, FTX. 

In a quest to bolster his defense, SBF’s legal team is leaving no stone unturned, now seeking the court’s approval to introduce evidence related to a 2022 venture investment.

SBF’s Lawyers Claim Investment Stakes Are Viable

In a letter to Judge Kaplan on October 10th, SBF’s defense team requested permission to introduce evidence of the disgraced CEO’s $500 million investment in Anthropic, a San Francisco-based AI and research company.

The letter is a response to the DOJ’s filing on October 8th, pushing to exclude the former CEO’s investments as evidence. The prosecutors argue that the value of FTX’s stake in Anthropic, even in anticipation of the proposed funding, is irrelevant to the ongoing trial unless it indicates full compensation for the exchange’s creditors.

The defense contends that the investment’s substantial appreciation since April 2022 is significant in rebutting the prosecutor’s insinuations that SBF made reckless and risky investment decisions. The team added that it also serves as a testament to SBF’s portfolio of successful venture investments and reinforces his ‘good faith.’ 

In response to the DOJ’s claims that the evidence may mislead the jury by suggesting that FTX’s debtors could be wholly settled, the team further expressed willingness to accept appropriate limiting instructions from the court to avoid misinterpretation.

Read here to unravel the details of SBF’s first trial week:
Unpacking the SBF Trial, Highlights from the First Week 

Binance is once again under regulatory scrutiny, this time by Brazilian authorities. Read more:
Brazilian Congress Calls For Binance CEO’s Indictment