- New York Magazine published an interview with Sam Bankman-Fried.
- In it he spoke about his stay in prison, his book, his fears and his plans for the future.
- In particular, SBF is most afraid of «changing» under the pressure of circumstances.
- After his release from prison he plans to launch his own token.
Former FTX exchange CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) plans to launch his own token after his release. He stated this in an interview for New York Magazine.
As a reminder, the court sentenced Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison in the fraud case in March 2024. He made several attempts to challenge this sentence, including a clemency petition filed in June 2026.
We note that this is not Bankman-Fried's first interview from prison. In the previous one he said that he had lost a lot of weight and is forced to trade in products such as rice and mackerel, since they are effectively a currency in the correctional facility.
The former FTX CEO is serving his sentence in a federal prison in Lompoc, California. From the publication's article it follows that he is allowed to make calls twice a week for 15 minutes.
SBF's everyday life in prison
Answering a question about how his days behind bars go, Bankman-Fried said the following: «Boring, nothing unusual». He continues to take medication for ADHD and depression, and also keeps to his vegan stance.
Because of this he does not eat together with the other inmates in the canteen. Instead, SBF buys food at the local shop, and the basis of his diet is rice and dried fried beans.
He also acquired a special tablet model, the SCORE 7T (Secure Commitment to Offender Re-entry and Enablement). Inmates can buy various entertainment content through it, including films, series and games. Among the latter SBF singled out Shattered Pixel Dungeon.
At the same time, during phone conversations with the press Bankman-Fried criticized the correctional system. According to him, it is ineffective, since people fall out of society for decades.
SBF's main fear in prison is «the reorientation of thinking toward triviality and, consequently, the depletion of his latent usefulness as a person». As an example he cited an AI whose only source of learning is the animated series «SpongeBob SquarePants».
According to him, sooner or later such a chat will forget any possible arguments, reflections and ideas, relying only on the instilled experience in the form of this work.
This allegory is contained in SBF's book titled «Manfred». Bankman-Fried began writing it even before he went to prison. It is essentially a memoir containing Bankman-Fried's reflections on his life, purpose and business.
«There is a hidden current of people who claim that I should be released from prison in less than 25 years, because to act otherwise would be cruel. SBF should be released at an age when he can still calmly live somewhere, they say; get married, have children. Occasionally write stories about how he adapts to society as a former inmate. Slow down; stop taking medication. Detox from a frantic work environment. Be healthy and safe», — the publication quotes an excerpt from the book's drafts.
Bankman-Fried himself opposes such a paradigm. He does not consider himself guilty of anything terrible, since FTX clients got their funds back and even in a greater amount, and therefore he should not go through the «standard path of redemption». For him this causes fear rather than relief, since SBF is afraid of losing himself, the magazine summed up.
The publication also noted that during pretrial detention at the MDC, Bankman-Fried corresponded with a certain female inmate. In the end he rejected her, which infuriated his cellmates, since the girl stopped sending them her photos.
SBF's plans after leaving prison
«To earn real money, you need to start with real money, you know, $50 million to $100 million, and then you can open a real business, and then you can really succeed», — Bankman-Fried told one of the prison employees.
Discussing his plans with the publication's representative, SBF added that he intends to launch his own token. He is confident that the project will be in significant demand.
NYM noted that they do not know whether SBF was joking. He answers many questions about his life and everyday routine in prison with irony, but such a possibility cannot be ruled out.
At the same time, he is still seeking a pardon. From the article it follows that his parents engaged two Republican lobbyists to promote this idea.
SBF himself continues to work on the book, helps other inmates, including legally, and tries «not to lose himself». At the same time he rejects the approach of trying «to settle in as comfortably as possible in prison».
Source: Incrypted
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