Former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried, sentenced to 25 years in 2024 for his function in misusing buyer funds, gave one other interview from jail earlier than his thirty third birthday.
Talking to right-wing political commentator Tucker Carlson on March 5, Bankman-Fried talked about jail life since his sentencing and his ideas on crypto regulation in the USA. Although Carlson didn’t straight ask the previous FTX CEO whether or not he anticipated to obtain a pardon from US President Donald Trump, SBF seemed to warm to some Republican concepts throughout the interview.
Sam Bankman-Fried interview, launched on March 6. Supply: Tucker Carlson
In accordance with SBF, he didn’t name on any US lawmakers to help him in 2022 amid pending felony expenses, claiming that he “didn’t need to do one thing inappropriate.” Although Bankman-Fried was a widely known Democratic donor, together with to former US President Joe Biden’s marketing campaign, he mentioned he had doubtless contributed as a lot to Republicans.
“I had as a great relationship, in all probability higher, with Republicans in DC as with Democrats by that cut-off date, though that wasn’t what the general public thought,” mentioned Bankman-Fried, referring to the aftermath of the FTX collapse.
FTX filed for chapter in November 2022. The trade’s collapse as a consequence of liquidity points led to US felony expenses towards Bankman-Fried and 4 executives. Three — SBF, former Alameda Analysis CEO Caroline Ellison, and former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame — acquired jail time.
“I don’t suppose I used to be a felony,” Bankman-Fried instructed Carlson, including he thought Salame had been charged with “completely bogus crimes,” probably as a result of he was a Republican. One of many solely different interviews SBF has given since 2024 was to the conservative information outlet New York Solar, suggesting efforts to cozy as much as Trump and lawmakers within the majority.
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Following his sentencing listening to in March 2024, Bankman-Fried’s authorized crew filed to enchantment the conviction. Reviews have additionally urged that the previous FTX CEO’s dad and mom have been exploring a presidential pardon for his or her son from Trump following his November election win.
Life in jail for the previous billionaire
Bankman-Fried is at present housed on the Metropolitan Detention Heart in Brooklyn whereas awaiting enchantment — the identical facility holding rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, who faces expenses associated to sexual assault and intercourse trafficking. Describing his life in jail just lately, SBF mentioned he largely ate rice and beans and that no former FTX worker had visited him.
“Anybody who was near me ended up with a gun to their head, being instructed that that they had two choices, and one in all them concerned a long time in jail,” mentioned SBF.
Felony instances involving FTX have largely concluded following former engineering director Nishad Singh and co-founder Gary Wang being sentenced to time served. Ellison was sentenced to two years in jail in September 2024, whereas Salame acquired seven and a half years in Could. Salame’s spouse, Michelle Bond, is anticipated to go to trial in 2025 for marketing campaign finance expenses.
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