Former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison joins the nonprofit charity organization Manifund

Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison has joined the nonprofit organization Manifund. Manifund co-founder Austin Chen stated that Ellison will be responsible for developing the organization’s donation platform and enhancing its charitable work. Ellison has been on a trial basis at the organization since July, transitioned to full-time in August, and has been posting work updates under the alias "Carol."

Ellison pleaded guilty in December 2022 to fraud and conspiracy charges related to the collapse of the FTX exchange in 2022, which resulted in billions of dollars in customer losses. She cooperated with prosecutors and testified against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Ellison is set to begin serving a two-year sentence in November 2024 and will be released early in January 2026 for cooperating with the investigation.

Chen stated in a post, "I believe in redemption. Caroline has acknowledged her mistakes, is working to repay creditors, and has served time in prison. I hope the world can recognize that too." Ellison expressed excitement about her new position, apologized for her past actions, and thanked Austin for giving her a second chance, stating that he judges her based on her current work performance rather than her past. According to its website, Manifund focuses on artificial intelligence safety and effective altruism projects.