Netflix Releases Trailer For FTX Drama Starring Sam Bankman-Fried And Caroline Ellison

TLDR

• Netflix dropped a trailer for “The Altruists,” an eight-episode series about the FTX collapse.
• The show premieres on Netflix on Nov. 19, 2026.
• Anthony Boyle plays Sam Bankman-Fried and Julia Garner plays Caroline Ellison.
• Bankman-Fried is serving a 25-year prison sentence and has asked the Supreme Court to review his conviction.
• Ellison was released from federal custody in January and agreed to a 10-year officer-and-director bar.

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Netflix has released a trailer for its new drama series about the collapse of FTX. The show is called “The Altruists.”

It focuses on Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison. Bankman-Fried ran the crypto exchange FTX. Ellison led its sister trading firm, Alameda Research.

All in. Every time. Julia Garner and Anthony Boyle star as Caroline Ellison and Sam Bankman-Fried in this limited series about the love scorned prodigies behind the FTX scandal.

The Altruists premieres November 19. pic.twitter.com/YOZILT9P5S

— Netflix (@netflix) October 8, 2026

The eight-episode series arrives on Netflix on Nov. 19. Netflix shared the trailer on Oct. 8 through a post on X.

Anthony Boyle plays Bankman-Fried in the series. Julia Garner plays Ellison.

What The Trailer Shows

In the trailer, Garner’s character says, “Lying isn’t bad for a good cause.” This line mirrors testimony Ellison gave during Bankman-Fried’s 2023 criminal trial.

At that trial, Ellison said Bankman-Fried believed rules against lying and stealing did not apply to him. She said this connected to his belief in effective altruism, a philosophy about doing the most good possible.

Another line in the trailer calls “going all-in every time” the “mathematically optimal strategy.” This appears to reference FTX’s high-risk use of customer funds.

Series co-showrunner Graham Moore said the story follows people who started with good intentions. He said they later convinced themselves to commit crimes.

Co-showrunner Jacqueline Hoyt said the couple built a company together. She said their relationship later played a role in its downfall.

Cast And Production Details

The series was first announced in May 2025. Higher Ground, the production company started by Barack and Michelle Obama, is one of the producers.

Boyle has appeared in shows like Say Nothing and Tetris. Garner has appeared in Ozark and Inventing Anna.

Other cast members include Alex Lawther as Sam Trabucco and Matt Rife as Ryan Salame. Karan Soni plays Nishad Singh, and Eugene Young plays Gary Wang.

Paul Reiser plays Bankman-Fried’s father, Joe Bankman. Robin Weigert plays his mother, Barbara Fried.

Jennifer Grey plays Ellison’s mother. Terry Chen plays former Binance chief Changpeng Zhao.

James Ponsoldt directed the first episode. The series draws from New York Magazine reporting on the FTX case.

Background On The FTX Case

FTX collapsed in November 2022. U.S. authorities later charged Bankman-Fried and other executives with fraud.

Ellison pleaded guilty and testified against Bankman-Fried. She was released from community confinement in January after a two-year sentence.

The Department of Justice said Bankman-Fried stole more than $8 billion from customers. He also defrauded FTX investors of over $1.7 billion.

A jury convicted him on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy. He received a 25-year prison sentence and must forfeit more than $11 billion.

In August, an appeals court upheld his sentence. Judges rejected his argument that possible repayment to customers should affect the fraud case.

In September, Bankman-Fried asked the Supreme Court to review his conviction. He also challenged the size of the forfeiture order.

He has separately requested a pardon from President Donald Trump. Ellison, meanwhile, agreed to a 10-year ban from serving as an officer or director at public companies.