Sam Bankman-Fried Sent to Solitary After Tucker Carlson Interview

Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of FTX, has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) after participating in an unauthorized interview with Tucker Carlson.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed to The New York Times on March 7 that the interview had not been approved by prison authorities.

“This particular interview was not approved,” the spokesperson stated.

Bureau of Prisons Enforces Strict Communication Rules

According to sources familiar with the situation, prison officials acted swiftly after the interview aired on Carlson’s YouTube channel on March 6, which has already surpassed 730,000 views.

The Bureau of Prisons enforces strict regulations on who can communicate with inmates and how those interactions take place. Bankman-Fried’s failure to obtain approval for the interview reportedly led to his isolation within the detention facility.

During the interview, SBF discussed his experience in prison, his views on crypto regulation, and denied being a criminal.

Speculation Rises Over a Potential Trump Pardon

One of the most controversial takeaways from the interview was Bankman-Fried’s apparent openness to Republican viewpoints, fueling speculation that he could be positioning himself for a presidential pardon.

While Carlson did not directly ask whether SBF expects clemency from Donald Trump, many in the crypto community have interpreted the interview as an attempt to appeal to the former president.

Crypto predictions platform Polymarket reported on March 7 that the odds of an SBF pardon have nearly doubled since the interview aired.

“The odds of an SBF pardon have nearly doubled,” Polymarket posted on X.

SBF’s Appeal Battle Continues

Meanwhile, Bankman-Fried remains locked in a legal battle, appealing his 25-year prison sentence and seven felony convictions related to FTX’s collapse.

His legal team filed a 102-page appeal brief in September 2024, arguing that he was never presumed innocent and that media scrutiny influenced the case against him.

His defense claims that prosecutors, the presiding judge, and the media all played a role in unfairly shaping public perception before and during the trial.

As the controversy around his case deepens, SBF remains in solitary confinement, while speculation about his legal future and potential political backing continues to grow.