Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX who's serving prison time for fraud, was tossed into solitary confinement after a jailhouse interview aired between him and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Bankman-Fried is serving a 25-year sentence in a Brooklyn detention center. He recently answered questions from Carlson in a recorded video call to discuss life in prison and his relationship with fellow inmate Sean "Diddy" Combs.
But prisons tightly restrict who can communicate with inmates and which channels they use, according to The New York Times. Bankman-Fried was placed in solitary confinement after the interview dropped, the Times reported, citing a source briefed on the situation.
"This particular interview was not approved,” a spokesman for the Bureau of Prisons told the Times.
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Bankman-Fried, once a Democratic megadonor, is now trying to secure a pardon from President Donald Trump, who has wielded the powers of the executive branch to have corruption charges dropped against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, pardon Jan. 6 rioters, and even Ross Ulbricht, creator of the Silk Road darknet marketplace.
“The prosecution told a story about FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried that is not correct,” Kory Langhofer, an Arizona lawyer who worked for Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, told the Times. “If the public knew the full story, they would view it differently.”
Bankman-Fried founded FTX in 2019. Three years later, evidence of possible fraud at the exchange emerged, leading depositers to quickly withdraw assets and the company to go bankrupt. Bankman-Fried was arrested in December of that year in the Bahamas and was extradited to the United States to face criminal charges.
He was indicted on seven charges, including wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering, later being convicted on all counts. In March 2024, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $11 billion.
Watch the interview below or at this link.
Sam Bankman-Fried is doing 25 years behind bars, and is now sharing a cell block with Diddy. He joins us from prison for an update on his new life.
(0:00) What Has Prison Been Like?
(2:28) Was SBF Ever on Adderall?
(4:42) SBF Meeting Diddy in Prison
(7:01) How Prison Has Changed… pic.twitter.com/mNSNktLibg
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) March 6, 2025
