How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Psychiatrist Became a Key Player at Crypto Exchange FTX

Early last year, Sam Bankman-Fried told an FTX all-hands meeting about an addition to the company’s staff.

It wasn’t a head of accounting. It wasn’t a risk manager. Instead, it was a psychiatrist who would serve as coach for stressed-out employees at the fast-growing crypto exchange. Dr. George Lerner introduced himself on the video meeting and encouraged workers to consult with him, meeting attendees recalled.