The SEC wants to know who lent Aschenbrenner the money

This article was published on August 26, 2026 The Securities and Exchange Commission has subpoenaed Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Citigroup and Bank of America over Situational Awareness, according to the New York Times and CNBC. It wants trade timing and communications about the fund’s borrowing. AI researcher and investor Leopold Aschenbrenner. American securities regulators have subpoenaed the banks that lent Situational Awareness the money it used to make its AI bets. The Securities and Exchange Commission wants the timing of the fund’s trades, and its communications with lenders about the money it was borrowing. It also told the banks to preserve any information they hold on the San Francisco firm. Rob Copeland and Matthew Goldstein broke the story for The New York Times, citing three people briefed on the outreach. The subpoenas went to Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Bank of America, Hugh Leask reported for CNBC, citing Reuters. All four were major clients of the fund, according to a regulatory filing the Times cites. Spokespeople for each declined to comment. So did the SEC. The SEC accuses nobody of anything here. An inquiry does not mean a firm is the focus of an