Former FTX Executive Ryan Salame Pleads Guilty to Criminal Charges, Ordered to Forfeit $1.5B

Former FTX executive Ryan Salame pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make unlawful contributions and defraud the Federal Election Commission and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transferring business on Thursday.

Salame started working at Alameda in 2019 and became co-CEO of FTX's Bahamas entity FTX Digital Markets. As part of the plea agreement, Salame was ordered to forfeit more than $1.5 billion. The US government has agreed to accept $6 million and some substitute assets from Salame, including two properties, the ownership of his company, and a 2021 Porsche. Should Salame turn over the assets by the set deadlines, he will be spared the full fine.

Salame is the fourth ex-FTX executive to plead guilty, following former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, FTX co-founder Gary Wang, and former FTX Engineering Director Nishad Singh.

Related: Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison and FTX Co-founder Gary Wang Plead Guilty to Federal Charges

Former FTX Engineering Director Nishad Singh Pleads Guilty to US Criminal Charges

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