Sam Bankman-Fried, currently serving a 25-year prison term, has a new home after completing an unauthorized interview with Tucker Carlson. Before the interview, SBF was housed at the Metropolitan Detention in Brooklyn, where the March 25th remote interview was conducted. The Brooklyn facility was famous for holding high-powered personalities, including R. Kelly, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Although Bankman-Fried’s transfer caught many by surprise, others in the know have long expected the move. Last May, there were rumors that officials would move SBF out of his cell, with SBF’s representatives believing their client may be transferred to Mendota, California.
Unauthorized Interview With Tucker Carlson
Bankman-Fried’s remote interview with Carlson was hosted last March 5th, without authorization by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The interview lasted for over 42 minutes, with the video and outline of the interview available on Carlson’s social media page.
Bankman-Fried talked about various topics, including his experiences inside the prison, how these experiences changed and shaped his perspectives, and his thoughts on the crypto industry. Also, the interview touched on SBF’s financial standing and his thoughts on the Democratic Party.
Bankman-Fried’s remote interview surprised many since he was largely silent and unavailable since his 2023 conviction. Immediately after the interview, prison officials sent SBF to solitary confinement. Then, the prison officials decided to transfer SBF to another prison facility.
SBF Used Remote Interview To Address The Charges
Tucker Carlson posted a summary of the remote interview on his Twitter/X account on March 7th. The interview covered many topics and issues, and SBF also used the opportunity to deny the charges against him again. When asked by Carlson, SBF re-stated that he doesn’t consider himself a criminal. He then suggested that FTX “was solvent” at its collapse.
Bankman-Fried also contested the charges against Ryan Salame, the FTX Digital Markets co-CEO, saying they were “bogus.” He then implied that the filing of these cases was politically motivated.
Bankman-Fried Continues To Attract Controversies Even While Serving Time
Even after his conviction, Bankman-Fried continued to attract attention and controversy. His latest stunt with Tucker Carlson didn’t go under the radar; the BOP flagged the unauthorized interview, which led to the resignation of SBF’s crisis manager, Mark Botnick.
Even in detention, SBF caused some controversies and has been the subject of investigations. In August 2023, officials revoked his bail over allegations that he attempted to sway witnesses. To help counter SBF’s negative image, his legal team recommended that they work with conservative media personalities, including Tucker Carlson. The team hoped that working with conservative commentators could boost the chances of SBF getting a presidential pardon.
Featured image from ABC News, chart from TradingView
