Life in Prison: Sam Bankman-Fried Speaks with Tucker Carlson

SBF is serving a 25-year prison sentence after a jury found him guilty of securities fraud, money laundering, mismanagement of customer funds, and other charges. Fried, who turned 33 on the day the interview aired, is now in a Brooklyn prison, sharing a cell block with American rapper P. Diddy (Sean John Combs).

When asked if he considered himself the biggest criminal in crypto, SBF responded that he didn’t believe he had done anything criminal.

SBF on Political Donations and Using His Connections

In 2023, Sam Bankman-Fried donated more than $100 million  to political campaigns, mostly to Democratic candidates. Bringing this up during the SBF prison interview, Tucker Carlson wondered why Democrats didn’t try to save their contributor and whether he had asked them for help.

The fallen crypto kingpin said he didn’t turn to Democrats for help due to several reasons, one of which was the change in his political views. He told Carlson that at that point, his relationship with Republicans was better, although it was not visible from the outside.

Speaking about the Biden administration, SBF said he initially supported them but later disagreed with the government’s political stance, mentioning crypto regulations as an example.

“The SEC under Gary Gensler was simply a nightmare,” SBF said.

In recent weeks, SBF’s support for Trump’s politics has received significant attention. At the end of February, he broke his silence on X/Twitter, posting for the first time since going to jail. In the post, SBF talked about recent federal layoffs, saying that firing people is often hard but usually the right thing to do.

Meanwhile, SBF’s parents are looking into ways to reach out to Donald Trump to seek a pardon for their son.

Beyond political donations, SBF built relationships with influential figures in finance, government, and Hollywood businesses.

Community Reactions to the SBF Prison Interview 

After the interview aired, it sparked widespread discussion online, with many criticizing SBF. Lawyer John Deaton dismissed Bankman-Fried’s claim that the crisis was unexpected, arguing that it doesn’t justify stealing millions from customers.

Deaton also said the interview showed SBF had no remorse and called him delusional. He added that SBF’s parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, should also face charges of conspiracy and fraud.

Crypto investigator Coffeezilla suggested that SBF’s real goal was to align himself with Republicans to improve his chances of receiving a presidential pardon.

FTX collapsed in November 2022, sending shockwaves through the crypto industry. As one of the largest exchanges at the time, its sudden downfall wiped out billions in user funds and shattered investor confidence. Bitcoin and Ethereum prices dropped, while FTX-linked tokens like Solana (SOL) suffered even steeper losses.

The collapse also led to tougher regulations, as governments pushed for stricter oversight of crypto exchanges and lending platforms. Many firms with ties to FTX, including hedge funds and lenders, went bankrupt. This deepened the market downturn and prolonged the crypto winter, making recovery even more difficult.