The report states that psychiatrist Sam Bankman-Fried was hired by FTX to “train” and counsel employees.
- According to the Wall Street Journal, the SBF’s personal psychiatrist worked at FTX.
- Dr. George Lerner was hired to work with employees as a “coach” rather than a medical professional, the Journal reported.
- One of the former employees criticized the doctor on Twitter last December.
According to a new Wall Street Journal report, FTX employees had access to personal psychologist Sam Bankman-Fried, who offered them advice and counseling in “coaching” sessions.
According to the magazine, Dr. George Lerner was hired by FTX in early 2022 after working as a psychologist for Bankman-Fried and other tech moguls in San Francisco.
The Bahamas-based cryptocurrency exchange, which collapsed last year, approached Lerner not as a medical professional, but as a coach, according to the magazine. In an email, Lerner told the Wall Street Journal that he was focusing on creating a sustainable work environment at the company.
“They were amazing people – driven, brilliant, willing to make a positive impact on the world,” Lerner told the magazine. “Conflict resolution has been the most challenging since most of my work has historically been with individuals.”
While some employees welcomed Lerner into the FTX battle, others told the magazine that he made it clear he could offer drugs like Adderall or Xanax to his employees. Some employees said they withheld information in coaching sessions with Lerner because they were worried he was too close to Bankman-Freed, the Journal reported.
According to the magazine, Lerner also counseled some employees who were at risk of suicide and tried to help employees go on dates.
“I was very concerned that people’s happiness would decrease due to a lack of dating opportunities outside of the big city, or that they would feel compelled to leave the company because of it,” he told the magazine.
December Twitter thread referenced by the magazineformer FTX employee Dani Cloud detailed several encounters with Lerner and accused him of being a vehicle for company employees to obtain drugs.
“In true FTX tradition, the psychoanalyst’s experience is to befriend the Bankman-Freed household ten years prior and become a bridge between rich kids and their insatiable amphetamine addiction,” she wrote.
— Dani Cloud (@daniiicloud) December 14, 2022
After the collapse of FTX and amid allegations of fraud against Bankman-Fried, Lerner told the magazine that he is now focused on rebuilding his private practice. Although Lerner’s connection to Bankman-Freed was classified, according to the magazine, he was not charged with any wrongdoing.
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