Netflix Just Dropped the Trailer for Its FTX Sam Bankman-Fried ‘The Altruists’ Series

Julia Garner is officially heading back to Netflix, and this time she’s teaming up with Anthony Boyle to tackle the biggest financial scandal of the decade. The Altruists, a brand-new 8-episode limited crime series chronicling the meteoric rise and disastrous fall of FTX, has just released its first official trailer and is set to premiere globally on Netflix on November 19th.

If you’ve been following our reporting here at What’s on Netflix, you’ll know this project has been brewing for a little while. We first broke the news that a Sam Bankman-Fried biopic series was in the works at Netflix back in May 2025, and we later followed up with exclusive intel detailing the production of the limited crime series The Altruists as well as getting snaps throughout production.

Now, Netflix has formally pulled back the curtain, dropping the full trailer, first-look photos, and confirming the full ensemble cast that will bring “Gen Z’s own Bonnie & Clyde” to life.

Here’s everything you need to know about The Altruists.

First Look at The Altruists Trailer

The gripping first trailer gives us a fast-paced glimpse into the meteoric rise and chaotic collapse of FTX. Opening with Sam (Boyle) and Caroline (Garner) bonding over the mathematical strategy of going “all in,” the footage charts their journey from idealistic crypto-founders aiming to “change the world” through effective altruism, to the devastating realization that they’ve lost $8 billion in customer funds.

Showcasing the lavish Bahamian penthouses, frantic trading floors, and the impending media and legal doom spearheaded by the Wall Street Journal, the trailer perfectly sets the stage for a tense, high-stakes drama.

What is The Altruists about?

Drawing inspiration from extensive reporting by Kevin T. Dugan and Jen Wieczner for New York Magazine, the series will chart the dizzying world of cryptocurrency, focusing on the two young executives at the center of the $8 billion fraud.

Here’s the official logline provided by Netflix:

The story of Sam Bankman-Fried and Caroline Ellison, two hyper-smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye – before they were accused of stealing $8 billion and became Gen Z’s own Bonnie & Clyde.

The project is helmed by Creator, Writer, and Showrunner Graham Moore (who won an Oscar for writing The Imitation Game), alongside Co-Showrunner and Writer Jacqueline Hoyt (The Underground Railroad, The Leftovers).

In a statement to Netflix, Moore expanded on the psychological complexities of the duo at the center of the scandal:

I genuinely believe that both Sam and Caroline were deeply committed altruists from day one, who set out to do as much good for as many people as they could in their lives…Over the course of the years that our show depicts, Sam and Caroline, with the very best of intentions, talked each other and themselves into committing a number of terrible crimes.

Jacqueline Hoyt echoed that sentiment, teasing a nuanced look at the disgraced crypto-royalty:

I think viewers will find our deeply intimate story of these two individuals with morally conflicted motives fascinating, and will ultimately have a better understanding of why they did what they did.

Who is starring in The Altruists on Netflix?

Julia Garner (Ozark, Inventing Anna) returns to her stomping grounds at Netflix to play Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research. Starring opposite her as the disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is Anthony Boyle, who has been having a phenomenal run recently with standout roles in Masters of the Air and Manhunt.
They are joined by a massive roster of series regulars:

• Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World) as Sam Trabucco
• Karan Soni (Deadpool) as Nishad Singh
• Naomi Okada as Claire Watanabe
• Madison Hu (The Brothers Sun) as Constance Wang
• Matt Rife (Natural Selection) as Ryan Salame
• Eugene Young as Gary Wang

Rounding out the additional cast are Paul Reiser as Joe Bankman, Robin Weigert as Barbara Fried, Maddie Hasson as Lauren Remington Platt, Marianna Phung as Lily Zhang, Jennifer Grey as Sara Fisher Ellison, Terry Chen as CZ, William Mapother as Dr. George Lerner, Jack Greenlees as Will MacAskill, Hudson Williams as Duncan Rheingans-Yoo, Elizabeth Adams as Hannah Miller, Hannah Galway as Lucy, Donald Heng as Hot Steve, David James Lewis as Bill, and Jasmine Lukuku as Valerie.

Who is behind the series?

As we previously noted in our ongoing coverage of The Altruists, the production team behind the camera is just as impressive as the cast in front of it.
The series is executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama alongside Jessie Dicovitsky and Vinnie Malhotra for Higher Ground Productions (the powerhouse banner behind Netflix hits like Leave the World Behind and Bodkin). Scoop Wasserstein is also on board to executive produce for New York Magazine/Vox Media Studios, alongside Tonia Davis, James Ponsoldt, Lauren Morelli, and star Julia Garner.
On the directing front, the 8 episodes will be split:

• James Ponsoldt (Episode 101)
• Kyle Patrick Alvarez (Episodes 102 & 103)
• Mairzee Almas (Episodes 104 & 105)
• Graham Moore (Episode 106)
• Silver Tree (Episodes 107 & 108)

The Altruists will drop all 8 episodes exclusively on Netflix on November 19th.