Brett Harrison (born May 11, 1988) is an American businessman and software developer. He is the founder and CEO of derivatives brokerage and trading technology firm Architect Financial Technologies.[1][2][3]

Brett Harrison
Born
Brett Alexander Harrison

(1988-05-11) May 11, 1988 (age 35)
New York City, U.S.
EducationHarvard University (BA, MS)
Occupation(s)Founder and CEO of Architect Financial Technologies, finance executive, software engineer
Years active2010-
SpouseHannah Clancy (m. 2017)
Children2

Early life edit

Harrison was born in New York City and raised in Dix Hills, New York.[4] He graduated from Half Hollow Hills High School West in 2006. While in high school, his mathematical research was published in American Mathematical Monthly.[5]

He attended Harvard University, where he earned an M.S. and B.A. in computer science.[6] His studies focused on artificial intelligence.[7] He completed Math 55 during his time at Harvard.[8]

Career edit

Harrison joined Jane Street Capital as an ADR trader in 2010.[9][7] He later went on to lead Jane Street’s algorithmic trading system development groups. While at Jane Street, he met and worked with Sam Bankman-Fried.[10]

He was subsequently a technology executive at Citadel Securities. At Citadel he managed the company’s Options, ETF, ADR and OTC technology departments.[11]

In May 2021, Harrison became President of FTX US.[12] While at FTX US he established the company’s regulated business operations and opened its headquarters in Chicago.[6] In 2022 he built and managed the launch of the company’s US retail stock brokerage and trading platform.[13][14]

Harrison announced his resignation from FTX US on September 27, 2022,[15] after protracted disagreements with Bankman-Fried over formal management structure and lack of delegation of authority at the company.[16]

In December 2022, Bloomberg reported that Harrison was raising capital for a new trading technology venture.[17] In January 2023, he closed a $5 million seed round and founded Architect Financial Technologies, a company to develop institutional-grade trading infrastructure.[2] Architect’s investors include Coinbase, Circle, and Anthony Scaramucci.[18] The company became a CFTC-regulated derivatives broker in September 2023.[19]

Personal life edit

Harrison is Jewish.[20] He is vegan and owns numerous rescue dogs and cats.[21][22]

He is married to Hannah Harrison. In January 2019, they adopted a child with congenital amputations from China.[23] They adopted their second child from Thailand in 2023.

References edit

  1. ^ "Architect Announces $5M Funding Round to Develop Trading Infrastructure for Global Digital Asset Markets". www.prnewswire.com.
  2. ^ a b Melinek, Jacquelyn (January 20, 2023). "Coinbase and others back ex-FTX US president's crypto trading infra startup Architect".
  3. ^ Katherine Doherty (April 19, 2023). "FTX US's Former Head Kicks Off Trading Hub for Futures and Crypto". Bloomberg – via www.bloomberg.com.
  4. ^ "SALT Talks: Brett Harrison: Crypto Derivatives | SALT Talks #255 on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts.
  5. ^ Harrison, Brett A. (2007). "On the Reducibility of Cyclotomic Polynomials over Finite Fields". The American Mathematical Monthly. 114 (9): 813–818. doi:10.1080/00029890.2007.11920475. JSTOR 27642336. S2CID 5419188 – via JSTOR.
  6. ^ a b "Former FTX Executive Harrison Is Getting Ready for His Next Act". Bloomberg. February 2, 2023 – via www.bloomberg.com.
  7. ^ a b Jr, Landon Thomas (February 22, 2016). "A New Breed of Trader on Wall Street: Coders With a Ph.D." The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  8. ^ "Burden of Proof | Magazine". The Harvard Crimson.
  9. ^ "BrokerCheck - Find a broker, investment or financial advisor". brokercheck.finra.org.
  10. ^ "Ex-FTX US President on Fraud Allegations, Bankman-Fried" – via www.bloomberg.com.
  11. ^ "SALT — Brett Harrison". SALT.
  12. ^ "'It's wild out there': crypto firms lure top bankers in price boom". Financial Times. May 26, 2021.
  13. ^ "FTX U.S. President Brett Harrison on launching stock trading for all users". CNBC.
  14. ^ Osipovich, Alexander. "Crypto Exchange FTX Expands Into Stock Trading". WSJ.
  15. ^ Capoot, Ashley. "Crypto exchange FTX is replacing its U.S. president". CNBC.
  16. ^ Exhibit(s) (Notice of Filing First Interim Report of John J. Ray III to the Independent Directors on Control Failures at the FTX Exchanges) Filed by FTX Trading Ltd.. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A)
  17. ^ "Former FTX US Head Is Raising Money for Crypto Startup". Bloomberg. December 2, 2022 – via www.bloomberg.com.
  18. ^ "Ex-FTX US President Harrison Taps Coinbase, Circle for New Crypto Firm". Bloomberg. January 20, 2023 – via www.bloomberg.com.
  19. ^ "Architect Financial Technologies Launches US-Regulated Brokerage for Futures and Options with CFTC License and Expands Global Derivatives Offering". www.prnewswire.com.
  20. ^ @BrettHarrison88 (December 16, 2022). "I'm Jewish but my wife taught me to love Christmas" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ^ "Brett Harrison on how FTX builds successful products: We ask people what they want". Fortune Crypto.
  22. ^ "FTX.US: A Crypto Future for All ft. Brett Harrison". Casted.
  23. ^ @BrettHarrison88 (August 4, 2022). "A little bit about my son, Eli" (Tweet) – via Twitter.