1200w,https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/12/13/gettyimages-1240624535_custom-415026e13486b210cdb817df52e1eaf63655dac1-s1600-c85.jpg 1600w,https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/12/13/gettyimages-1240624535_custom-415026e13486b210cdb817df52e1eaf63655dac1-s1800-c85.jpg 1800w" sizes="(min-width: 1300px) 763px, (min-width: 1025px) calc(100vw - 496px), (min-width: 768px) calc(100vw - 171px), calc(100vw - 30px)" type="image/jpeg"/>

Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire abruptly collapsed last month. Now he's been charged with multiple counts of fraud. He's seen here speaking during a House Agriculture Committee hearing in May. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire abruptly collapsed last month. Now he's been charged with multiple counts of fraud. He's seen here speaking during a House Agriculture Committee hearing in May.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

Prosecutors say the former CEO of cryptocurrency giant FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, defrauded investors and costumers for years, to the tune of billions of dollars. Bankman-Fried was arrested Monday night in the Bahamas, on an extradition request by American authorities.

NPR's David Gura unpacks the charges and the ongoing investigation into Bankman-Fried's activities at FTX.

And Wall Street Journal reporter Justin Baer discusses the role Bankman-Fried's influential parents – the legal scholars Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried – played in the rise and fall of FTX.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This episode was produced by Connor Donevan, Karen Zamora and Seyma Bayram. It was edited by William Troop, Ashley Brown and Lisa Lambert. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

Northern California
Public Media Newsletter

Get the latest updates on programs and events.