KEY POINTS
- SBF said Diddy, who was facing multiple sexual assault charges, was kind to all inmates at the unit
- He speculated that the reason why Democrats didn't offer to "rescue" him was because he started reaching out to the GOP
- The former FTX CEO criticized Gary Gensler for wanting to be at center of power during his SEC chairmanship
- Many crypto users said Bankman-Fried shouldn't be trusted since he pulled off the crypto version of Bernie Madoff's scheme
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried appeared on Tucker Carlson's podcast Thursday, making his first video appearance since getting convicted for fraud over his role in the collapse of what was once a leading cryptocurrency exchange.
In the latest episode of Carlson's show on X, Bankman-Fried, also called SBF in the crypto space, revealed he had been meeting with Sean "Diddy" Combs in prison and also expressed his thoughts on the "refusal" of the Democratic Party to "rescue" him from his case despite the billions he donated to ex-President Joe Biden and other Democratic politicians.
Diddy "has been kind": SBF
When asked whether he has hung out with Combs, who was facing multiple sexual assault charges, Bankman-Fried said yes. "He's been kind," SBF said, adding that Combs was "kind to everyone in the unit." He then shifted gears to talk about the environment of prison as a whole.
He described the experience as "weird," saying the prison he was in housed other people with "high-profile cases" and "a lot of alleged ex-gangsters." SBF was serving 25 years at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Carlson pressed him further, asking the former crypto darling what Combs was like in prison.
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.
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) March 6, 2025
(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
Bankman-Fried explained that he has only seen one side of the rapper, and for everyone in the unit where he and Combs were being held, prison was a "soul-crushing" experience.
Democrats not rescuing SBF "was a really big question"
Carlson also asked Bankman-Fried why he ended up in jail when the Democrats were known for their supposed support for "friends" charged in some cases.
SBF said it's also a question to him and he can only speculate, but he believes one of the reasons the Democrats he helped, including the former president, didn't "rescue" him is due to his exploration of political alliances with the Republican Party.
He said that while he was supportive of Democrats in 2020, he started approaching Republicans "privately" in the later months of 2022, at around the same time FTX started to face issues.
Gensler wanted to be at the center of power: SBF
Aside from discussing his experience with the Democrats, Bankman-Fried also criticized the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under ex-Chair Gary Gensler.
"He really likes being in the center of things – power – everyone likes that," he said, adding that Gensler "wanted his agency to get more power" and in the process, he started coming up with registration requirements for crypto firms.
Former crypto executive understands friends' silence
By the end of the interview, Carlson asked if any of the people SBF "helped" had reached out to him since going to prison. Bankman-Fried said he received many messages of support "from D.C." in the immediate aftermath of the FTX collapse, but around six months later, there were "none."
He said he has heard "third-hand" comments about the help they received from him, given his altruistic actions before the FTX debacle, but that no one wanted "direct" contact with him after he was charged with fraud and other similar charges.
Regarding his many friends in the industry before his case unraveled, Bankman-Fried said he somehow understands why they kept their distance, especially those who had to "speak" against him since they were offered opportunities to avoid longer jail time, seemingly referring to the prosecution's star witness in the SBF trials, his former girlfriend, Caroline Ellison.
Crypto users react wildly to SBF interview
Many crypto users took to the comments section of Carlson's post on the interview, with the majority of the comments coming from a place of rage.
Dmitry, a well-followed figure in the crypto space, called SBF a "little demon," adding that no one should trust whatever the disgraced executive said.
trust categorically nothing this little demon says. everything is done with calculated intent to deceive to advance his interests.
— 𝐃𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐲 (𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲.𝐢𝐨 🪐) (@BackTheBunny) March 6, 2025
good to see he's checked the box on one of his evil action items by going on your show Tucker. you've seen his list, right?https://t.co/oCidAlJeVM
Trugard Labs CEO Anoop Nannra asked why Bankman-Fried was given "criminal air time," adding that while everyone deserved second chances in life, what the former crypto executive did was "[Bernie] Madoff level criminal."
Uh…. Why are you given this criminal air time? Sure, everyone deserves a 2nd chance, but this was Madoff level criminal.
— Anoop Nannra @ SF (@anannra) March 6, 2025
Bankman-Fried has 23 years to go but there were earlier reports his parents were exploring the possibility of reaching out to U.S. President Donald Trump for a pardon.
The fall of FTX wiped out billions from the crypto industry, and led to the bankruptcy filings of some crypto firms with exposure to the exchange.
