Sam Bankman-Fried, the once-billionaire founder of FTX, has been spotted looking quite different with a new beard and a slimmer figure in a photo that’s been making rounds, reportedly taken inside New York’s Metropolitan Detention Centre.
This snapshot was shared by crypto journalist Tiffany Fong during a chat with a former inmate known simply as “G Lock” marks the first glimpse of Bankman-Fried behind bars since his fraud conviction last August.
Captured on December 17, 2023, the image shows Bankman-Fried with a beard, appearing leaner, in the company of five other inmates.
Fong teased a clip from an upcoming interview with G Lock, who got to know Bankman-Fried during his jail time. According to Fong, Bankman-Fried has lost some pounds and hasn’t been keeping up with personal hygiene as much. “He’s definitely going through a rough patch,” Fong noted.
G Lock gave his two cents on Bankman-Fried, calling him “weird as hell” but still a “decent dude.”
Guys, I normally wouldn’t mind if someone reposts my photo & doesn’t credit me, but I literally had to get this photo of Sam Bankman-Fried from prison inmates. 🤣 (I censored faces for their privacy other than G Lock who I interviewed.) pic.twitter.com/rJF0SXZ7Wf
— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) February 20, 2024
Despite the lack of grooming and a slight isolation, G Lock mentioned that Bankman-Fried’s time in the slammer hasn’t been too rough, with no serious threats or violence against him. Interestingly, G Lock threw in that Bankman-Fried had more street cred than rapper Tekashi Six Nine, pointing out that unlike Six Nine, Bankman-Fried hasn’t ratted anyone out.
Fong wrapped up the teaser mentioning that Bankman-Fried’s time in jail included getting teased by other inmates over his relationship with Caroline Ellison and watching the 60 Minutes interview with Michael Lewis, the author of “Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon,” a book about Bankman-Fried’s tumultuous journey, all together with his fellow inmates.
FTX founder and former CEO pleaded not guilty in New York federal court to criminal charges related to the collapse of his now-bankrupt exchange and Alameda Research.
The disgraced cryptocurrency legend was indicted on eight counts, including wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy, as well as charges of securities fraud and conspiracy to avoid campaign finance regulations. If convicted, the onetime crypto billionaire could face up to 115 years in prison.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan set a trial date for October 2. SBF, who was out on a $250 million bond, appeared in Federal District Court in Manhattan and his attorney Mark Cohen entered the plea of not guilty to all counts.
Mr. Bankman-Fried, 30, previously acknowledged making mistakes but denied claims of engaging in widespread fraud, paving the way for a trial. However, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate could ultimately change his mind and plead guilty to at least some of the charges.
