Sam Bankman-Fried Details Political Donations, Expresses Optimism About Securing Presidential Pardon from Donald Trump

Incarcerated former CEO of the defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, has detailed his political donations and expressed optimism about securing a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried is hoping for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, despite having donated heavily to Democratic candidates in the past.

In an interview with The New York Sun, Bankman-Fried said he donated to the Democratic Party in the 2020 election to counter the influence of Bernie Sanders. He also said he donated a total of nearly $40 million to political candidates and PACs in 2022.

Bankman-Fried was a vocal supporter of Biden in the 2020 election, and he donated millions to groups opposing Trump. However, in the interview, he said his views have shifted toward保守派 politics in recent years.

“I viewed myself at the time as sort of center-left, and that’s not how I view myself anymore,” he said. “I became really frustrated and disappointed with what I saw of the Biden administration and the Democratic Party. Particularly on crypto policy, the Biden administration was just incredibly destructive and difficult to work with. I think my case fits into that broader context.”

Bankman-Fried has been trying to secure his release from prison since FTX collapsed. His efforts intensified after President Trump recently pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. According to Bloomberg, Bankman-Fried’s parents are also exploring the possibility of securing a presidential pardon for their son.

Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in March 2024 for his role in the collapse of FTX. The “punishment must fit the seriousness of the crime, and this was a serious crime,” Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said at the sentencing. Kaplan also called SBF’s performance during the trial “evasive” and “hair-splitting.”

“I have been doing this job for close to 30 years. I have never seen a performance like that,” Kaplan said.

It is unclear if this narrative will be enough to convince President Trump. While Bankman-Fried is now saying he donated to共和党 causes, he also donated millions to support the candidate running against Trump. As a result, despite SBF’s insistence on his innocence, the chances of a pardon appear to be slim.