Sam Bankman-Fried Wrote to the Actor Portraying Him in Netflix Series 'The Altruists'

Sam Bankman-Fried, the convicted founder of collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, wrote to Irish actor Anthony Boyle from prison as Boyle prepared to portray him in the upcoming Netflix series 'The Altruists.' The correspondence came after Boyle reached out to Bankman-Fried seeking insight into the character he would be playing on screen.

Boyle said Bankman-Fried answered most of his questions, though the actor declined to share specifics of what was discussed. 'I promised him that I wouldn't divulge anything,' Boyle said, adding that his core focus was understanding motivation — 'what makes them do the things that they do.'

'The Altruists' is set to premiere approximately three weeks from late October 2026. The series dramatizes the implosion of FTX and centres on the relationship between Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison, who headed Alameda Research, the trading firm closely linked to the exchange.

Bankman-Fried was convicted in 2023 on seven felony counts related to misusing customer funds and was sentenced to 25 years in prison — one of the stiffest sentences handed down in a white-collar financial crime case in recent memory. He remains incarcerated.

Ellison, who cooperated with federal prosecutors and pleaded guilty under a deal, was released in January after serving more than a year. Her testimony was considered central to the government's case against Bankman-Fried.

Not everyone connected to FTX has welcomed the dramatization. Constance Wang, who served as FTX's chief operating officer, publicly criticized the on-screen portrayals, suggesting Boyle's version of Bankman-Fried makes him appear less socially awkward than he was in reality.

Boyle, an Irish actor who has built a reputation for intense character work, appears to have taken an unusually immersive approach to the role by going directly to the source. His correspondence with Bankman-Fried raises questions about what the imprisoned founder hoped to convey through an actor sworn to secrecy.

The FTX saga has already attracted significant literary and documentary attention. Author Michael Lewis published 'Going Infinite,' a book about Bankman-Fried, in 2023, drawing on extensive access he had gained before the exchange collapsed. Actor and financial commentator Ben McKenzie also featured a 2022 interview with Bankman-Fried in a documentary examining the crypto industry.

'The Altruists' arrives as public interest in the FTX collapse remains high, with ongoing legal and regulatory consequences still playing out across the crypto sector. Netflix's decision to dramatize the story reflects broader streaming appetite for narratives about financial fraud and the personalities behind them, following high-profile productions on figures such as Elizabeth Holmes and Bernie Madoff.

What the series ultimately reveals — and what Bankman-Fried may have hoped to shape through his letters — will become clearer when 'The Altruists' lands on the platform in the coming weeks.