Caroline Ellison: The Great Mind with a Dark Edge

After confessing to seven counts, including fraud, Caroline Ellison could face up to 110 years in prison. Yet, one pressing question might linger unanswered: Who is she at her core? A savvy swindler who couldn't protect her amassed billions? Or a gullible math whiz manipulated by a romantic partner?

The digital realm offers scant details about Caroline Ellison. Most portrayals in the media rely on anecdotes from schoolmates and connections from her past. These recollections, frequently anonymous, sketch an image of a quiet, introverted, and perhaps unassuming nerd who, due to her mathematical brilliance, was metaphorically “plucking stars from the sky.” Those familiar with a younger Caroline grapple with the notion of her missteps. 

From her earliest days, Caroline Ellison showed remarkable intelligence. Introduced to the world of Harry Potter by her parents at the age of three, she independently tackled the second book by five. She possessed a broad spectrum of interests, with mathematics at the forefront. For several years, Caroline spearheaded her middle school's math team in a Boston suburb. Beyond her academic prowess, Ellison showcased her talents on the cello and the ski slopes. In 2016, she graduated from Stanford University, securing a bachelor's degree in mathematics. Impressively, for three years running, she was listed among the top 500 math students across U.S. and Canadian universities.

Undoubtedly, Caroline's early multifaceted growth was heavily influenced by her parents. In 1994, coinciding with Caroline's birth, her father, Glenn Ellison, began his teaching tenure in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Just a year later, her mother, Sara Fisher Ellison, joined the same institution's economics faculty. It seems the intellectual curiosity of her parents rubbed off on Caroline. She was delving into statistics in elementary school, and at the age of 8, she even gifted her father a study on plush toy pricing for his birthday.

Today, Caroline's parents remain immersed in their academic pursuits. Sara Fisher has ascended to the position of a senior lecturer in the field of economics. Her research interests span e-commerce and she holds expertise in the economic dynamics of the pharmaceutical sector. Her personal blog suggests a move to Paris, filled with enticing descriptions of a new panoramic apartment, art exhibition visits, and delectable street food snapshots. This paints a picture of a woman still relishing life's offerings, undeterred by her daughter's legal challenges. Meanwhile, Glenn Ellison remains at the helm of MIT's economics department, exploring topics like game theory, economic geography, and various other scholarly areas. 

It's quite intriguing that the Ellisons are colleagues with Gary Gensler, the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This is the very agency that played a significant role in landing Caroline in legal trouble. Before taking the reins of the Commission, Gensler was a seasoned professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management, focusing on Global Economics and Management. While there's no direct evidence that the Ellisons and Gensler were tight-knit, common sense suggests that individuals teaching in related fields at the same institution likely know each other quite well. This connection adds another layer to the unfolding story of FTX/Alameda Research's bankruptcy, doesn't it?

The nature of Caroline Ellison's relationship with Sam Bankman-Fried also raises eyebrows. Their relationship doesn't seem to fit the typical romantic narrative. Rumor has it that about ten of the top executives from FTX and Alameda Research were in intertwined relationships and shared a home in the Bahamas. A tweet from an unverified account linked to Caroline hints at a collective inclination towards narcotics within this group.

“Nothing like regular amphetamine use to make you appreciate how dumb a lot of normal, non-medicated human experience is,” shares a user going by the moniker carolinecapital.

What began as a crusade for lofty ideals takes an unsettling turn. In spring 2018, SBF persuaded Caroline Ellison to depart from her trading role at Jane Street and join the nascent hedge fund, Alameda Research. He enticed her with the allure of “flawless arbitrage,” hinting that she might finally amass billions to donate to worthy causes.

It’s pivotal to highlight that Ellison was an advocate of the philosophy of effective altruism. She even held the position of vice president for the corresponding club at Stanford. Enthusiasts of this approach, quite lauded in Silicon Valley, aspired to craft the pinnacle of careers. Their ambition? To harness the wealth they generated to tackle the most urgent global issues. 

As time passed, SBF emerged as the predominant spokesperson for effective altruism, inadvertently casting shadows over its progressive ethos. This led many to question the sincerity behind the altruistic claims made by Ellison and Bankman-Fried. Confronted by the press about whether this philosophy was a mere charade, SBF candidly responded, “Yes.” Meanwhile, by collaborating with the authorities, Caroline unveiled that she and her partner, Sam, had conspired to defraud their clients. 

Yet, SBF paints a divergent picture. In memos disclosed just before the legal proceedings, Bankman-Fried portrayed Caroline as someone ill-suited and underqualified for the CEO mantle he had bestowed upon her. He lamented her hesitancy to formulate robust strategies, her inadequate response to the looming crisis, and her emotional breakdowns when confronting FTX's challenges. “She continually avoided talking about risk management – dodging my suggestions – until it was too late,” Sam wrote. 

When delving into the nuances of their relationship, it too unraveled disappointingly.