Former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison Joins Manifund Charity Under Pseudonym
Austin Chen confirms Caroline Ellison was hired at Manifund, where she quietly worked under the name Carol for two months prior to public disclosure.
The ongoing aftermath of the FTX collapse has taken an unexpected turn in the non-profit sector as leadership appointments come under scrutiny. Public disclosures regarding a Caroline Ellison charity role have generated significant discussion across the cryptocurrency landscape and philanthropic circles alike.
According to a report published by Bitcoin.com News, Manifund co-founder and chief executive officer Austin Chen revealed in a Substack post that the 501(c)(3) charitable organization hired former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison. Chen detailed that Ellison had been working quietly at the organization for two months under the shortened name Carol before her involvement became widely known.
Ellison served as a central figure in the catastrophic collapse of FTX and its sister trading firm Alameda Research in late 2022. Following her cooperation with federal prosecutors and testimony during criminal proceedings against Sam Bankman-Fried, Ellison has largely remained out of the public spotlight. Her hiring at Manifund, an entity tied to effective altruism and impact-driven grantmaking, represents her first prominent operational role since the collapse.
The announcement has triggered mixed reactions across the digital asset community, where memories of Alameda's multibillion-dollar insolvency and the resulting fallout remain fresh. While some commentators argue in favor of professional rehabilitation following full legal cooperation, others have questioned the governance and optics of non-profit organizations onboarding figures closely associated with historical industry fraud.
The disclosure raises broader questions regarding reputational risk and organizational transparency for philanthropic foundations operating in alignment with effective altruism principles. The movement itself faced intense scrutiny in the wake of the FTX bankruptcy due to the extensive funding and public associations previously tied to Bankman-Fried and his inner circle.
Observers will be watching how Manifund's donor base and community stakeholders respond to the disclosure over the coming months. The situation highlights the long shadow cast by the events of 2022 as former executives navigate their post-judicial careers under intense public and regulatory observation.
Key takeaways
- Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison was hired by 501(c)(3) charity Manifund.
- Manifund CEO Austin Chen disclosed that Ellison worked under the pseudonym Carol for two months.
- The appointment has reignited debate regarding effective altruism ties and accountability after the FTX collapse.