How does a disgraced crypto mogul manage to make headlines from behind bars? Sam Bankman-Fried found a way. The former FTX CEO landed himself in solitary confinement after conducting an unauthorized interview with Tucker Carlson on his 33rd birthday, March 7, 2025.
The interview, which violated Bureau of Prisons communication rules, wasn’t approved by authorities at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. Bankman-Fried used a video call in a private room to chat with Carlson. Bad move.
During the 33-year-old’s forbidden media appearance, he discussed his prison life since beginning his 25-year sentence. He’s been eating rice and beans, playing chess, and apparently not feeling physically threatened. In addition to chess, he mentioned adapting to constraints of prison life while passing time. He even mentioned sharing a cell block with rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs. What a neighbor.
Life at MDC Brooklyn: rice, beans, chess matches, and a rap mogul cellmate. Prison networking at its finest.
Bankman-Fried didn’t shy away from controversy, expressing admiration for Republican ideas and claiming he had better relationships with Republicans than Democrats. The kicker? He stated, “I don’t consider myself a criminal.” Right. The seven counts of wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering he was convicted for must be just a misunderstanding.
His interview garnered over 730,000 views on Carlson’s YouTube channel and reignited speculation about a potential presidential pardon. His family is reportedly consulting with a lawyer connected to Trump’s campaigns, attempting to leverage what they see as Trump’s “transactional approach” to pardons.
Since his conviction for misusing billions of FTX customer dollars and defrauding investors of over $1 billion, Bankman-Fried has been at the Brooklyn facility since August 2023. His political evolution has been notable, as he went from backing Biden in 2020 to co-authoring an opinion piece supporting Trump’s sovereign wealth fund proposal. The Department of Justice reported a staggering $3 billion stolen from customers.
The unauthorized interview has renewed focus on Bankman-Fried’s political connections and sparked debate over jailhouse interview protocols. Meanwhile, his odds of receiving a pardon have nearly doubled since the interview was published.
Seems like even in prison, Bankman-Fried can’t stop making risky bets.
