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We need an independent investigation into how EA leadership has handled SBF and FTX
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AnonymousEAForumAccount
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3/5
Good(3)Good quality. Reputable source with community review or editorial standards, but less rigorous than peer-reviewed venues.
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Written in the aftermath of FTX's November 2022 collapse, this post reflects community debate over EA's governance failures and the movement's relationship with Sam Bankman-Fried as its largest donor.
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Building effective altruismCommunityEffective VenturesCentre for Effective AltruismCriticism of effective altruist organizationsCriticism of the effective altruism communityCriticism of work in effective altruismFTX collapseFTX FoundationSam Bankman-FriedTransparencyWilliam MacAskill
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Importance: 42/100opinion piececommentary
Summary
This post calls for an independent investigation into EA leadership's handling of Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX, documenting apparent discrepancies between public statements from EA leaders and media reports about prior knowledge of misconduct. The author argues EA leadership was insufficiently transparent about their relationship with SBF as a major donor and failed to adequately acknowledge warnings before FTX's collapse.
Key Points
- •Documents discrepancies between EA leaders' public statements and credible media reports about their prior knowledge of SBF's misconduct at Alameda and FTX.
- •Argues EA leadership was insufficiently transparent about SBF's role as a major donor and board member in EA-affiliated organizations.
- •Calls for a formal, independent investigation rather than internal review to ensure accountability and credibility.
- •Highlights alleged failures to act on warnings about unethical behavior, inappropriate relationships, and potential criminal activity before FTX's collapse.
- •Raises broader concerns about EA's governance structures and the risks of over-reliance on a single major donor.
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| EA Epistemic Failures in the FTX Era | -- | 84.0 |
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We need an independent investigation into how EA leadership has handled SBF and FTX — EA Forum
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by AnonymousEAForumAccount 24th Jul 2024 14 min read 53 141
Building effective altruism Community Effective Ventures Centre for Effective Altruism Criticism of effective altruist organizations Criticism of the effective altruism community Criticism of work in effective altruism FTX collapse FTX Foundation Sam Bankman-Fried Transparency William MacAskill Frontpage We need an independent investigation into how EA leadership has handled SBF and FTX Summary Communications from EA leaders have not been forthcoming about important factual matters. Circa ~2017, SBF was one of 80k and CEA’s largest donors. SBF served on CEA’s board. SBF worked for CEA. Multiple EA leaders and organizations were aware about allegations stemming from the Alameda dispute. Open questions: There are worrisome discrepancies between comments from EA leaders and credible media reports. Will’s professed ignorance about inappropriate romantic relationships SBF had while at Alameda directly conflicts with Time’s reporting on the subject. Will’s characterization of what complaints he heard about SBF related to the Alameda dispute, and when he heard them, conflicts with Time’s reporting Nobody in EA leadership has publicly acknowledged the New Yorker’s report that many leaders received warnings that SBF was being investigated for criminal behavior four months before FTX’s collapse (other than to deny personally having seen said warnings) EA leadership has not acknowledged an internal CEA investigation and/or board assessment conducted relating to Alameda, which both Time and Semafor have reported Open questions: EA leaders have made public claims about post-FTX reforms that could easily be construed as misleading Open questions 53 comments Summary
Rebecca Kagan believes “EA needs an investigation, done externally and shared publicly, on mistakes made in the EA community’s relationship with FTX.” She is far from the only person who has called for an independent investigation, but Kagan’s experience and knowledge as a former board member of Effective Ventures makes her perspective particularly relevant.
Explaining her decision to resign from EV’s board, Kagan wrote:
“I want to make it clear that I resigned last year due to significant disagreements with the board of EV and EA leadership, particularly concerning their actions leading up to and after the FTX crisis… I believe there were extensive and significant mistakes made which have not been addressed. (In particular, some EA leaders had warning signs about SBF that they ignored, and instead promoted him as a good person, tied the EA community to FTX, and then were uninterested in refo
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