--- title: "SBF and Caroline Ellison Allegedly Had a Secret Groupchat Called “Wirefraud”" description: "A new report alleges that ex-FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and ex-Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison were in a secret groupchat called \"Wirefraud.\"" date: "2022-12-13" modified: "2022-12-13" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/sbf-caroline-ellison-allegedly-secret-groupchat" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Future Society" tags: - "crypto" - "ftx" - "sam bankman-fried" - "the digest" --- # SBF and Caroline Ellison Allegedly Had a Secret Groupchat Called “Wirefraud” ![A new report alleges that ex-FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and ex-Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison were in a secret groupchat called "Wirefraud."]() *\Image: Tom Williams via Getty / Futurism\* ## Sounds Smart Just in case we needed *any* more reason to believe that bankrupt crypto exchange FTX and also-bankrupt FTX-tied hedge fund Alameda Research — which together left a [mult-billion dollar hole]() in investors' bank accounts — were in fact run by a [gaggle of egomaniacal children](): a [report from *The Australian Financial Review*]() alleges that disgraced ex-FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and ex-Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison were both in a secret groupchat dubbed "Wirefraud." If your head hurts, so does ours. *AFR* reports that the chat — which also included FTX cofounder Zixiao "Gary" Wang and top software engineer Nishad Singh, both of whom [may now be in hiding]() — was on Signal, an encrypted messaging app. Shortly after the *AFR* story dropped, Bankman-Fried took to Twitter to refute the allegations. "If this is true, then I wasn't a member of that inner circle," SBF [wrote]() in the Monday tweet. "I'm quite sure it's just false; I have never heard of such a group." Just hours later, he was [arrested ]()[in the Bahamas]() under US criminal charges. ## Terminally Online Considering that Ellison, who was also said to be [SBF's on-and-off girlfriend](), reportedly joked online about having a "[section on wire fraud]()" on her internet dating profile, this alleged groupchat *does* seem pretty on-brand. These kids — or at least just SBF and Ellison — suffer, in one way or another, from being terminally online (as does most of the crypto industry). Very much [against the will]() of his counsel, Bankman-Fried has seemingly been unable to quiet his Twitter-happy thumbs in the month since his exchange collapsed; Ellison, on the other hand, has risen to infamy as the cryptosphere's [#1 Tumblr Girl](), where, among other things, she wrote on her blog that "controlling most major world governments" makes men attractive. Having a groupchat called "Wirefraud" is a bit like having a box in your house labeled "murder weapon." It's bonkers to the point of near unbelievability, but that said, it's worth remembering: FTX's fallout was hard and fast, and just before their alleged house of cards collapsed, these young execs were at the absolute top of the world. And when you feel invincible, it's easy — and likely a bit exhilarating — to flirt with getting caught. **READ MORE:** *[FTX's inner circle had a secret chat group called 'Wirefraud']()* \[*Australian Financial Review*\] **More on FTX:** *[Sam Bankman-Fried Arrested in Bahamas, Facing US Criminal Charges]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()