Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX has filed a lawsuit against Anthony Scaramucci and his hedge fund, SkyBridge Capital, as part of its broader strategy to recoup funds for creditors following its collapse, according to a report by Fortune.
The report cites court documents as revealing that the lawsuit against the former White House Communications Director is one of 23 cases filed Friday in Delaware’s bankruptcy court. Other defendants in the suits include the digital-asset exchange Crypto.com and political organisation FWD.US, which was co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg.
FTX alleges that during the challenging “crypto winter” of 2022, founder Sam Bankman-Fried undertook “a campaign of influence-buying,” making costly and high-profile “investments.” According to the filing, one key relationship he targeted was with Scaramucci, leveraging the financier’s “established financial, political, and social” connections.
The company now argues these investments “offered little to no benefit” and merely served to enhance Bankman-Fried’s status in political and financial circles. FTX claims that Bankman-Fried invested $67m in SkyBridge ventures in 2022, suggesting that Scaramucci was “seeking a bailout” as SkyBridge’s assets under management had declined from a peak of $9bn in 2015 to $2.2bn. FTX is seeking to recover over $100m in damages.
In September 2022, Bankman-Fried and Scaramucci publicly announced that FTX Ventures would acquire a 30% stake in SkyBridge, although financial specifics were not disclosed. Scaramucci commented at the time that the investment aligned with his vision for SkyBridge over the coming decade.
Just months later, FTX filed for bankruptcy, and Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas on charges of fraud.
A representative for Scaramucci declined to comment on the lawsuit.
