From Rice Bargaining Power to Living with Murderers, SBF Discusses Prison Life

News outlet Puck has released an exclusive interview with convicted FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fired (SBF), shedding light on the controversial figure’s life behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn.

Among the pressing issues discussed with SBF are how he has lived with inmates who are murderers and how he has survived with only beans and rice during his short time in prison. Mr. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March after being convicted of stealing over $8 billion of customer funds from the now-defunct crypto exchange, FTX.

SBF’s Prison Life

Bankman-Fried revealed he lived in a section of the prison where convicted women stay, except for about 35 other men who shared it with him. According to him, half of the men staying in his unit were murderers who were cooperating with the prosecution to avoid life sentences.

SBF explained his dormitory was without privacy and consisted of four televisions turned to ESPN, Telemundo, BET, and one unnamed channel. He had the option of watching television or playing some “inferior video games” on a tablet, which had no access to the internet.

Rice was a huge currency in the MCD and was used as an arbitrage to keep him protected from molestation, SBF alleged. He noted that he sometimes gets late-night bugs over a cut of his bags of rice, which will be used for barter.

SBF Intends to Appeal Sentencing

The disgraced FTX co-founder also revealed he would contest the decision to sentence him to 25 years in prison, alleging he was innocent of the crimes he was convicted of. SBF reiterated that he was forced to file for bankruptcy and hand over his company to John Ray, citing that FTX would still be thriving had he decided against it.

Mr. Bankman-Fried’s stay at MDC is temporary. If his appeal course fails, he will be moved to a facility where he will serve the remainder of the 25 years. Notably, the facility to which SBF would be transferred remains unknown.