FTX Warns of Bankruptcy Without Rescue for $8 Billion Shortfall
Sam Bankman-Fried told FTX.com investors Wednesday that without a cash injection the company would need to file for bankruptcy, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
On a call before Binance pulled an about-face and bailed on its takeover offer, Bankman-Fried informed investors his crypto exchange faced a shortfall of up to $8 billion and needed $4 billion to remain solvent, the person said, asking not to be named discussing private talks. FTX is attempting to raise rescue financing in the form of debt, equity, or a combination of the two, the person said.
“I f---ed up,” Bankman-Fried told investors on the call, according to people with knowledge of the conversation. He said he would be “incredibly, unbelievably grateful” if investors could help.
An FTX representative declined to comment.
The acknowledgment of his firm's deepening troubles and limited options is a stunning turn for the crypto industry's onetime wunderkind, who was once worth $26 billion and likened to John Pierpont Morgan. It also underscores the uncertainty hanging over FTX, its clients and cryptocurrency markets.
Hanging in the balance as the exchange teeters is not just the fate of its investors and lenders but anyone who has been unable to retrieve customer assets since it halted some withdrawals earlier in the week. The failure of crypto firms Celsius and Voyager saw billions in client money tied up in bankruptcy proceedings.
FTX has a prominent list of backers such as Sequoia Capital, BlackRock Inc., Tiger Global Management and SoftBank Group Corp. Sequoia wrote down the full value of its holdings in FTX.com and FTX.us, an indication that the firm sees no clear path to recouping its investment.
Still, Bankman-Fried remained defiant
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