---
title: "FTX Considered Buying an Island to Conduct Human Genetic Experimentation"
description: "Former FTX CEO Bankman-Fried and his brother Gabriel talked about buying a tiny island to conduct genetic experiments on humans."
date: "2023-07-21"
modified: "2023-07-21"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ftx-island-human-genetic-experimentation"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "ftx"
  - "sam bankman-fried"
  - "the digest"
---

# FTX Considered Buying an Island to Conduct Human Genetic Experimentation

![Former FTX CEO Bankman-Fried and his brother Gabriel talked about buying a tiny island to conduct genetic experiments on humans.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ftx-island-human-genetic-experimentation.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images\</em\>*

## Misguided and Dystopian

We knew there was a lot of wild stuff going on behind the scenes as the cryptocurrency exchange FTX [imploded in spectacular fashion](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/ftx-exec-vomited-learned-truth>) last year.

But the more we hear, the more unhinged it gets. A [new lawsuit](<https://restructuring.ra.kroll.com/FTX/Home-DocketInfo>) filed against disgraced FTX CEO Bankman-Fried reveals "frequently misguided and sometimes dystopian" schemes FTX's nonprofit arm called the FTX Foundation pursued.

One memo suggested that Bankman-Fried and his brother Gabriel even discussed buying a tiny island nation called Nauru, in Micronesia, to build a bunker there. Its goal? To be used in case the world's population were ever cut by "50 to 99.99 percent," when it help repopulate the Earth. It would also serve as a "lab" to develop "sensible regulation around human genetic enhancement."

"Probably there are other things it’s useful to do with a sovereign country, too," the memo reads.

## Effective Altruist Bunker

Bankman-Fried's various hairbrained charitable concepts were closely tied to "effective altruism," a philosophical movement that [seeks to maximize profit in order to maximize the benefit](<https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/sam-bankman-fried-effective-altruism-and-the-question-of-complicity>) to others in society by using reason and evidence.

In simple terms, the former crypto baron was seeking to make as much money as possible and pass on this wealth to others, including political and social clauses.

The reality, however, was that Bankman-Fried has [been accused](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/sbf-joked-tendency-lose-millions-assets>) of stuffing their pockets with millions of dollars in personal payouts, and his charitable efforts sound like a bit of a joke.

According to the [latest lawsuit](<https://restructuring.ra.kroll.com/FTX/Home-DownloadPDF?id1=MTY1NzA5Mg==&id2=-1>) filed against the CEO, the FTX Foundation "served little purpose other than to enhance the public stature of Defendants."

The foundation issued grants for a variety of projects, including $300,000 for somebody to write a book about ways to figure out "humans' utility functions."

It also handed out a whopping $400,000 for somebody to animate YouTube videos to explain the concept of effective altruism, including videos on "grabby aliens."

Meanwhile, Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to fraud and is awaiting his trial later this year.

That's probably a good thing. Otherwise, he and his former colleagues may have actually had a chance to build a dystopian bunker for human experimentation.

**More on FTX:** *[FTX Made a Very Smart Investment That May Be Able to Pay Back Its Customers](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/ftx-investment-pay-back-customers>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)