Netflix has released the first official trailer for The Altruists, an eight-episode limited series that tells the story of Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison, the young couple behind the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The trailer arrived on October 8, 2026, and shows how a relationship between two ambitious idealists ended with accusations of stealing $8 billion in customer funds. The series premieres globally on November 19, 2026.
Starring Julia Garner (Ozark, Inventing Anna) as Caroline Ellison and Anthony Boyle as Sam Bankman-Fried, the show is created by Oscar-winning writer Graham Moore (The Imitation Game). It is executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama through their company Higher Ground Productions.
What the Two Minute Trailer Shows
The trailer begins with a simple game. Boyle’s Bankman-Fried meets Garner’s Ellison and gives her a brain teaser about betting chips. She quickly shows her competitive side, arguing that going “all in” every single time is the smartest move.
That “all in” mindset becomes the backbone of their entire relationship and business. The trailer follows the pair as they launch FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange they believe can change the world. Scenes show them smiling at each other, building their team, and celebrating as money pours in. Bankman-Fried proudly says, “We are making a million dollars a day”.
The mood shifts as their success grows. Someone warns them that they are “so smart yet so stupid.” Ellison says that lying is not bad if it is for a good cause. A voice asks what will happen if The Wall Street Journal discovers what they are hiding.
The trailer ends with Bankman-Fried admitting he “messed up” as they face accusations of stealing $8 billion from customers. Ellison tells him she does not know who she can trust. He asks her, “You trust me, right?”
The Real Story Behind the Series
The show is based on real events. Sam Bankman-Fried founded FTX in 2019. At its peak, FTX was one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, handling around $10 billion in daily trading volume.
Caroline Ellison was the CEO of Alameda Research, a trading firm connected to FTX. She and Bankman-Fried were also in a romantic relationship before the company collapsed.
FTX went bankrupt in late 2022 after customers rushed to withdraw their money. That rush revealed an $8 billion hole in the company’s books. In court, Ellison testified that Bankman-Fried directed her to use FTX customer funds to buy property, make political donations, and fund Alameda Research.
Bankman-Fried was found guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy in late 2023. He received a 25-year prison sentence. Ellison pleaded guilty and became a key witness against him. She spent over a year in prison for her role.
US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan described the case as potentially “the greatest financial fraud ever perpetrated in this country”.
Who Is in the Cast
The series features a large ensemble. Alex Lawther plays Sam Trabucco, Karan Soni plays Nishad Singh, Naomi Okada plays Claire Watanabe, Madison Hu plays Constance Wang, Matt Rife plays Ryan Salame, and Eugene Young plays Gary Wang.
Additional cast members include Hudson Williams, Paul Reiser, Robin Weigert, Maddie Hasson, Jennifer Grey, and Terry Chen.
The show is inspired by articles written by Kevin T. Dugan and Jen Wieczner for New York Magazine.
Creator Explains the Focus on Romance
Graham Moore, who created the series, said the goal was to show two people who truly believed they were doing good.
“I genuinely believe that both Sam and Caroline were deeply committed altruists from day one, who set out to do as much good for as many people as they could in their lives,” Moore told Netflix’s Tudum. “Over the course of the years that our show depicts, Sam and Caroline, with the very best of intentions, talked each other and themselves into committing a number of terrible crimes.”
Co-showrunner Jacqueline Hoyt added:
“They were going to challenge the system. But through their relationship, they ended up breaking the system, and tearing an $8 billion hole in FTX.”
You May Also Like:
Crypto Community Pushes Back
The trailer has drawn sharp criticism from parts of the cryptocurrency world. Many say the show’s focus on romance makes the real harm caused by FTX’s collapse seem smaller than it was.
Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of the Solana blockchain, said the trailer was “worse” than he expected. He also said the show appeared to blend him with other crypto founders into a single character. Netflix has not announced any cast member playing Yakovenko or other crypto founders.
One X user, @trading_axe, wrote that the romantic framing did not match what happened. The account argued that Ellison joined Alameda Research rather than working purely as one half of a romantic partnership with Bankman-Fried.
Another account called the series a “crypto humiliation ritual”. Crypto wallet provider Phantom joked that Netflix should have released the trailer on a different date.
The show’s official description calls it “a toxic love story inspired by a real fraud”.
When and Where to Watch
All eight episodes of The Altruists will be available on Netflix starting November 19, 2026. The series will launch globally, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, and other regions where Netflix operates.
The series was directed by James Ponsoldt, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Mairzee Almas, Graham Moore, and Silver Tree.
Bankman-Fried recently tried to appeal his fraud conviction, but an appeals court denied his request. FTX customers began receiving repayments in 2025 through the bankruptcy process, though claims were valued using past prices rather than later market values.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more updates on the biggest shows and the true stories behind them.
Leave a Reply