Brett Harrison, the previous president of FTX US, posted a 49-part Twitter thread about why he left the company and how his relationship with FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) deteriorated. Before joining FTX, Harrison was employed by Citadel Securities. In his Twitter thread, the ex-president of the US branch discussed his disputes with the FTX CEO over management practices.
Brett Harrison’s Relationship With FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried Deteriorates, Leading To Resignation
On January 14, 2023, Brett Harrison shared his experience from his time working at FTX US, a US-based crypto exchange, on his personal account. In this 49-part report, he outlines his experiences with the US branch. Initially, Harrison was eager to join the company’s staff, but his relationship with its CEO SBF has declined due to management practice disputes.
“Six months into my time with the company, pronounced cracks began to form in my own relationship with Sam,” Harrison said. “At that time, I began to strongly advocate for establishing the separation and independence of the FTX US executive, legal, and developer teams, and Sam disagreed.”
Despite the tremendous pressure, Harrison refused to yield to SBF’s influence over various industries because he could not accept. Other FTX US staff members also expressed disapproval of the CEO and his circle. They were a group of experienced professionals who had worked in US finance, law and exchange companies.
“Our collective experiences, professional insights, and collective knowledge were considered irrelevant and unimportant. It was extremely frustrating for all of us.” Harrison insisted. Harrison added:
It was difficult to manage the conflict. He sometimes responded with uncontrolled hostility and sometimes gaslighting or manipulation. But he chose to keep me away from important decisions and communication.
Harrison Resigned from FTX US September 27, 2022, After Dealing With Organizational Issues
Ultimately, Harrison felt unfairly treated at work and decided to quit and start his own business. It was impossible for him to continue working at FTX US due to the deteriorating relationship with SBF. Volatility and insecurity affected SBF
