Imprisoned FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is reportedly hoping to secure a pardon from President Donald Trump.
The New York Times, citing “six people with knowledge of the matter,” reports that Bankman-Fried has talked to a lawyer affiliated with Trump, reached out to DC lobbyists and interviewed with Tucker Carlson in an effort to appeal to the president.
Crypto lobbyists are doubtful the disgraced FTX founder’s efforts will be successful, with one telling Fortune that Bankman-Fried had a “near zero” chance of securing a pardon.
FTX imploded and filed for bankruptcy in November 2022 amid accusations that Bankman-Fried mishandled the exchange’s funds by loaning out billions of dollars’ worth of customer deposits to Alameda Research, the firm’s trading arm.
The exchange’s multi-billion dollar collapse led to a sharp downtick in crypto prices, and US federal authorities arrested Bankman-Fried the following month.
A US judge sentenced the FTX founder to 25 years in prison last year after he was convicted of fraud charges in 2023.
Earlier this year, Bankman-Fried’s parents, Stanford Law School professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, reportedly met with lawyers and other figures considered close to Trump to discuss potential clemency for their son.
Joseph Bankman even penned an opinion piece in the Washington Post (with Berkeley law professor Mark Gergen) praising Trump’s plan for a US sovereign wealth fund.
Trump pardoned Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht in January, fulfilling a campaign promise to Libertarian voters.
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