FTX files for bankruptcy, Bankman-Fried steps down

Crypto exchange FTX and many of its affiliated companies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company announced on Friday, with FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried stepping down as CEO.

“I’m really sorry, again, that we ended up here,” Bankman-Fried, a former crypto billionaire, said in a Twitter post that went out soon after the filing announcement.

John J. Ray III will take over as chief executive, while Bankman-Fried will assist during the transition. The filing for the affiliate, Alameda Research LLC, lists between $10 billion and $50 billion assets, between $10 billion and $50 billion in liabilities, and more than 100,000 creditors.

“The immediate relief of Chapter 11 is appropriate to provide the FTX group the opportunity to assess its situation develop a process to maximize recoveries for stakeholders,” Ray, who has previous experience as a restructuring attorney and reorganization officer for companies like Enron and Fruit of the Loom, said in the statement. “The FTX group has valuable assets that can only be effectively administrated in an organized joint fashion. I want to ensure every employee, customer, creditor, contract party, stockholder, investor, government authority, and other stakeholders that we are going to conduct this effort with due diligence, thoroughness, and transparency.”

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