The Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions to produce series about Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison

Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions has landed a Netflix drama about convicted cryptocurrency fraudsters Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison.

Eight-part The Altruists will tell the story of the two hyper-smart duo who tried to remake the global financial system. Bankman-Fried was the founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX while Ellison was the chief executive of Alameda Research, a trading firm affiliated with FTX. The drama will reveal how the pair seduced each other into stealing $8bn.

Anthony Boyle and Julia Garner

Source: Gage Skidmore and Vera Mulyani for Wikimedia Commons

Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud and conspiracy in 2023, while Ellison received a for two-year jail term for fraud last year.

The series is set to be co-showrun and exec produced by Graham Moore (The Outfit) and Jacqueline Hoyt (The Underground Railroad).

It will star Julia Garner (Ozark) and Anthony Boyle (Masters of the Air) in the key roles of Ellison and Bankman-Fried. Garner will also exec produce alongside Vinnie Malhotra and Jessie Dicovitsky for Higher Ground Productions, James Ponsoldt, who will also direct the first episode, Scoop Wasserstein for New York Magazine/Vox Media Studios, Tonia Davis and Lauren Morelli.

Moore said: “For nearly three years now, Sam and Caroline’s story has been my daily obsession. I’m so grateful to my friends at Netflix and Higher Ground for loving this story not only as much as I do, but in the same way that I do. And we can’t wait to show all of you why.”

Higher Ground has a creative partnership with Netflix, which has led to the upcoming Bible belt serial killer drama All the Sinners Bleed, the documentary Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds and NBA docuseries Starting 5.

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