Sam Bankman-Fried Releases Prison Interview... "All Assets Gone"

JH Kim

Summary

Former FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried said in a prison interview that all assets have disappeared and he has no personal assets left.
He claimed that regulatory issues have limited the virtual asset market, criticizing former SEC Chairman Gary Gensler.
He projected that FTX's asset size could have reached $93 billion before bankruptcy, and they could have returned funds to customers and investors.

Former Fox News anchor and journalist Tucker Carlson released a prison interview with FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) on the 6th (local time) via X (formerly Twitter).

In the released video, SBF claimed, "The United States' share of global finance is 30%," adding, "However, the virtual asset (cryptocurrency) market share is only 5%. This is due to regulation."

He continued, "Former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler regulated virtual asset companies without providing clear registration procedures, hindering industry development," explaining that "virtual assets failed to realize their originally intended functions of protecting individual freedom and privacy, and instead degenerated into mere investment assets."

Furthermore, he stated, "If FTX had not gone bankrupt, its asset size was expected to reach $93 billion, and we could have returned funds to all customers and investors," adding, "However, all assets disappeared during the bankruptcy proceedings, and I currently have no personal assets left."

He also mentioned, "Prison life has no physical dangers but is dystopian," saying, "During the trial, it was almost impossible to access legal materials. My daily routine consists of reading, chess, legal research, etc., and the lack of productive activities is the most difficult part."

He added, "I'm currently 32 years old, and without special sentence reduction, I'm scheduled to be released at 57," expressing concern that "I worry about adapting to society after release, given the rapid development of AI and technology."

Meanwhile, SBF is serving a 25-year sentence for multiple charges including fraud at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC).