In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) provided insight into his political shift and the circumstances surrounding his 25-year prison sentence for fraud and conspiracy.
In what has become his second interview from prison, and first one on video, the FTX founder once again denied being a criminal, despite his conviction for one of the largest financial frauds in cryptocurrency history.
During an exclusive conversation with conservative pundit; Tucker Carlson, Bankman-Fried maintained his stance that he did not intentionally defraud anyone and hinted that his increasing alignment with the Republican Party might have played a role in the harsh 25-year prison sentence he received.
Bankman-Fried, who has been widely criticized for his role in the collapse of FTX, reiterated his belief that the U.S. Department of Justice had mischaracterized his actions. When questioned about the nature of his crime, he bluntly stated,
“I don’t think I was a criminal. I mean, I think the DOJ thinks that I may have been, but I don’t care.”
In addition to denying the charges, Bankman-Fried suggested that his growing connections with the Republican Party before his arrest may have contributed to the severity of his sentence.
SBF, once a major donor to Democrats, surprised many by revealing that he had started supporting Republican candidates privately in late 2022, months before the collapse of his crypto empire.
Bankman-Fried attributed this political shift to his growing disillusionment with the direction of the Biden administration and expressed shock at the policies he observed during his frequent visits to Washington, D.C.This shift in political support, Bankman-Fried argues, may have made him a target for a stronger legal response.
“One fact that might be relevant. In 2020 I was center-left and I gave to Biden’s campaign. I was optimistic he’d be a sort of solid center-left President. I spent the next few years in [Washington] DC a lot. I made dozens of trips there, and was really, really shocked by what I saw, not in a good direction, from the administration,” he said.
“By late 2022 I was giving to Republicans privately as much as Democrats. And that started becoming known right around FTX’s collapse, so that probably played a role,” Bankman-Fried added
Bankman-Fried’s comments come amid a broader media blitz, including this recent interview with conservative media figure Carlson and The New York Sun. It seems that he is attempting to rehabilitate his public image, despite being incarcerated for orchestrating the infamous FTX collapse that left billions of dollars in losses for investors and customers.
Sam Bankman-Fried’s Image Rehabilitation Campaign
After being convicted of fraud and conspiracy in March 2024, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was sentenced to 25 years in prison. During his trial, it was revealed that Bankman-Fried had thought long and hard about how to rehabilitate his public image following FTX’s downfall.
He even drafted a Google Doc with ideas on how to reshape perceptions, including suggestions like “come out against the woke agenda” and “go on Tucker Carlson, come out as a Republican.” With the GOP firmly in power, Bankman-Fried’s appearance on Carlson’s show is seen as an attempt to align himself with conservative ideals, hoping it would soften the harsh public sentiment surrounding his criminal actions.
In his conversation with Carlson, Bankman-Fried admitted he had low expectations from the Democrats but hoped that some lawmakers from both parties could show genuine concern for his situation. He also criticized the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under Gary Gensler, calling it “something out of a nightmare” due to the regulatory challenges crypto companies faced in trying to comply with the SEC’s unclear guidelines.
Quick Facts:
- Bankman-Fried continues to assert that he was not a criminal and disagrees with the DOJ’s characterization of his actions.
- He suggested that his increasing ties to the Republican Party before his arrest might have contributed to his harsh 25-year sentence.
- Bankman-Fried has engaged in a media campaign, including interviews with Tucker Carlson and others, to reshape his public image following the FTX disaster.
