Watch the trailer for ‘The Altruists,’ Netflix’s show about the FTX scandal

The ethical complexities behind effective altruism are now a Netflix series, making the fallout from the FTX collapse accessible to a mainstream audience.

Netflix is releasing a new show titled 'The Altruists' that focuses on the FTX scandal, specifically the roles of Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison. The series is scheduled to premiere on November 19, coinciding with the Thanksgiving holiday season. The trailer for the show has been released, featuring Anthony Boyle as Sam Bankman-Fried and Julia Garner as Caroline Ellison. The co-showrunner, Graham Moore, expressed his fascination with the real-life stories of Bankman-Fried and Ellison, noting their complexity as characters.

The production of 'The Altruists' signals a growing trend of Hollywood adapting major tech and financial scandals into dramatic narratives. This is not the first such adaptation, following in the footsteps of shows about Elizabeth Holmes, indicating a market for stories exploring the intersection of technology, finance, and human drama. The timing of the release, near a major holiday, suggests an attempt to capture a broad viewership seeking compelling, real-world stories.

The series' focus on Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison, key figures in the FTX collapse, provides a dramatized lens through which the public can understand the intricacies of cryptocurrency fraud and the collapse of major financial platforms. This narrative approach may shape public perception and understanding of the events, potentially influencing discussions around regulation and accountability in the fintech sector.