Throughout his look on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) shared that he doesn’t view himself as a prison and expressed optimism about the way forward for crypto underneath President Donald Trump’s administration, amongst different matters.
Throughout the interview, SBF known as his jail life a “dystopian” expertise, revealed that the rapper Sean “P. Diddy” Combs had been “variety” to him and in addition shared particulars about his time behind bars.
Journalist and present host Tucker Carlson questioned SBF about whether or not he was the most important prison within the crypto enterprise.
In response, SBF mentioned:
“I don’t suppose I used to be a prison. Definitely, the reply to that’s no. I imply, I believe the DOJ [US Department of Justice] thinks that I’ll have been, however I don’t share their viewpoint.”
Political affect and Gensler
SBF was additionally questioned about why he thinks the Democratic social gathering refused to help him to keep away from jail regardless of his donations. Throughout his trial in October 2023, proof revealed that SBF donated as much as $119 million to politicians within the 2022 election cycle.
He replied:
“By late 2022, I used to be giving Republicans privately as a lot as Democrats, and that began turning into recognized proper round FTX’s collapse. So, I in all probability performed a job.”
SBF added that he contacted Democratic politicians however didn’t ask for favors, as most of them made their positions recognized and stayed away from him “as shortly as doable.” Nevertheless, he added that he “heard individuals saying third-hand good issues” about him.
SBF additionally commented on former SEC chair Gary Gensler and mentioned his strategy to crypto regulation was like “one thing out of a nightmare.” He additional shared that he had suspicions that Gensler had political aspirations, which may have motivated him to take a strict stance towards crypto and be acknowledged by it.
Former associates
SBF advised Carlson that just a few of his former associates stayed with him after the scandal kicked off. Nevertheless, he added that on reflection, it is smart that most individuals deserted him contemplating the strain they have been underneath amid the high-profile collapse of FTX.
SBF mentioned:
“Anybody who was near me ended with a gun of their head. You understand, being advised they’d two choices, and one in all them concerned a long time in jail. I believe Ryan Salame is the saddest instance of that.”
SBF mentioned Salame was charged with “completely bogus crimes” and that prosecutors threatened to cost his pregnant spouse. Salame, who was FTX co-CEO, was convicted to 90 months in jail by the DOJ on Might 28, 2024, after pleading responsible to seven fraud and conspiracy counts.
Nevertheless, he contested the responsible plea, saying that he agreed to plead responsible as a result of prosecutors promised to drop investigations into his spouse, Michelle Bond. Finally, Salame withdrew his contestation.
Optimism underneath Trump
SBF additionally commented on the bettering regulatory panorama underneath President Donald Trump’s administration.
He famous that the Trump administration is saying “a whole lot of good issues” in regards to the crypto business that differ from former President Joe Biden’s stance and expressed optimism about its future within the US.
He added:
“Clearly, it’s the follow-through that issues and that’s the state we’re in proper now, which is ‘what is going to come of this?’ […] So, I believe the large query is: when the rubber meets the street, will the administration do what must be completed and work out easy methods to do it?”