In 2022, FTX was everywhere—Super Bowl ads, celebrity endorsements, and a relentless media blitz made it the face of the crypto boom. Its co-founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, became a billionaire celebrity, only to see it all unravel when his company collapsed amid accusations of fraud totaling billions. Now, Netflix is telling the story from a fresh angle, focusing not on the financial mechanics but on the personal bond at the center of it all.
The Altruists, an eight-episode limited series premiering November 19, stars Anthony Boyle as Bankman-Fried and Julia Garner as his girlfriend and business partner, Caroline Ellison. The show dives into their relationship, which the media once dubbed "Gen Z's own Bonnie & Clyde," as they rose together in the crypto world before their empire crumbled.
Unlike other true-crime adaptations that stick to the headlines, this series aims to be a fly on the wall in the private moments that reporters never captured. Creator and showrunner Graham Moore, an Oscar winner for The Imitation Game, told Collider that his focus was always on the intimacy between Sam and Caroline. "The financial story, the crypto story, even the crime story—those have been super well reported in the press," he said. "But the story people haven't heard is the personal one: the private moments in moonlit bedrooms that no reporter was there to witness."
The exclusive first look shows the couple in a diner booth, with Bankman-Fried looking anxious while Ellison casts a concerned glance his way. It's a quiet, humanizing image that sets the tone for a series that leans into the pressures and moral complexities the two faced as they managed billions of dollars from investors.
Garner is no stranger to Netflix true crime, having previously led Inventing Anna, about con artist Anna Sorokin. Boyle, fresh off roles in Masters of the Air and House of Guinness, brings a layered intensity to Bankman-Fried. The supporting cast is equally impressive, with Alex Lawther, Karan Soni, and Matt Rife among the regulars, plus Paul Reiser and Robin Weigert in key roles.
The series is inspired by articles from New York Magazine that shed light on the couple's behind-closed-doors dynamic. Co-showrunner Jacqueline Hoyt, a The Good Wife alum, said she was drawn to Moore's script because it revealed a side of the story she hadn't seen. She hopes viewers will come away with a deeper understanding of the people behind the scandal.
For those who followed the FTX saga, The Altruists offers a chance to see the human cost of ambition and the blurred lines between idealism and greed. It's a compelling addition to Netflix's growing library of true-crime dramas, and it's sure to spark conversation when it drops this fall.
If you're a fan of Netflix's teen dramas or devastating shows, this one might be your next binge. And with Stranger Things returning soon, Netflix is clearly doubling down on stories that keep us hooked.
