Ellison’s sentence was reduced due to her significant cooperation with the authorities, which was instrumental in securing Bankman-Fried’s conviction. Prosecutors recommended leniency because of her honest and full cooperation.

Ellison was sentenced for her role in a massive financial fraud, which involved the misappropriation of $8 billion in customer funds from FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by Sam Bankman-Fried.  

Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted of multiple fraud charges related to the collapse of FTX and is serving a 25-year prison sentence. He is currently appealing the conviction and sentence.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan acknowledged that Ellison was “gravely culpable” in the fraud but also recognized her “remarkable cooperation,” which distinguished her from Bankman-Fried.

At the peak of his career during the cryptocurrency boom, Sam Bankman-Fried’s net worth was estimated at $26 billion according to Forbes.

Ellison faced a potential maximum sentence of 110 years in prison for her crimes.

Besides Ellison, Nishad Singh and Gary Wang, two other former FTX executives who cooperated with prosecutors, are awaiting sentencing in October and November, respectively.

Ellison is scheduled to begin her prison sentence in November, and she is expected to serve her time in a minimum-security facility.

Yes, Ellison cooperated extensively with prosecutors, meeting with them around 20 times and testifying against Sam Bankman-Fried during his trial.

Ellison’s testimony was crucial in the conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried, as she provided detailed accounts of how he directed her and others to misappropriate FTX customer funds.