SBF’s Parents Seeking Trump Pardon for Their Son

The parents of FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) are reportedly lobbying for a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, hoping to secure clemency for their son.

Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, both Stanford Law School professors, have allegedly met with lawyers and individuals linked to Trump’s inner circle to discuss a potential pardon.

Their son, once a crypto billionaire, is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for defrauding FTX customers out of $8 billion.

Judge: SBF Showed No Remorse

SBF’s sentencing judge, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, took a firm stance against leniency, stating:

“He knew it was wrong. He knew it was criminal. He regrets that he made a very bad bet about the likelihood of getting caught. But he is not going to admit a thing, as is his right.”

Kaplan also dismissed SBF’s claim that FTX customers would eventually be repaid, saying:

“A thief who takes his loot to Las Vegas and successfully bets the stolen money is not entitled to a discount on the sentence by using his Las Vegas winnings to pay back what he stole.”

Trump’s Recent Pardons Fuel Hopes

While it is unclear if SBF’s parents have directly contacted the White House, their efforts come shortly after Trump pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht.

Ulbricht, convicted in 2015 for running the darknet marketplace Silk Road, had been serving a double life sentence for conspiracy to commit narcotics trafficking and money laundering.

Trump announced Ulbricht’s pardon on Truth Social, writing:

“In honor of his mother and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of Ross.”

Surge in Pardon Requests

Following Trump’s high-profile pardons, there has been a wave of interest from white-collar criminals seeking clemency.

Jeffrey Grant, a legal advisor specializing in white-collar defense, told Decrypt:

“We have been hearing from people in prison, from people recently sentenced who haven’t reported to the Bureau of Prisons yet, from people who have been indicted. They are looking for somebody who knows somebody.”

With Trump’s history of issuing controversial pardons, speculation is growing about whether SBF’s parents will succeed in their efforts—or if their son’s lack of remorse and massive financial fraud will prove insurmountable.

For now, SBF remains behind bars, but his family isn’t giving up the fight.