Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison

He was found guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy.
 By 
Christianna Silva
 on 
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried arrives for a bail hearing at Manhattan Federal Court on August 11, 2023 in New York City. Federal prosecutors are asking U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan to revoke Bankman-Fried's bail and to be jailed until his October criminal trial. Bankman-Fried who has pleaded not guilty to multiple conspiracy and fraud charges was accused of witness tampering after the New York Times published a story featuring personal documents of Caroline Ellison, former Alameda Research CEO. Judge Kaplan will also hear arguments on the gag order placed on Bankman-Fried that was placed as part of his bail agreement for the alleged witness tampering.
SBF did not have a good day. Credit: Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Sam Bankman-Fried, crypto bro and scammer extraordinaire, was just sentenced to 25 years in prison after being found guilty of two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, and conspiracy to commit securities fraud.

"The defendant's assertion that FTX customers and creditors will be paid in full is misleading, it is logically flawed, it is speculative," Judge Lewis Kaplan said, according to Reuters. "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."

Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of crypto exchange FTX, scammed customers out of approximately $10 billion and led to the total collapse of FTX and another hedge fund, according to a November ruling


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He faced a maximum possible sentence of 110 years in prison. During the case, Judge Kaplan increased the sentencing guidelines range for Bankman-Fried because he perjured himself and knowingly obstructed justice.

Bankman-Fried said at the criminal sentencing hearing that he made a "series of selfish decisions." He said his coworkers "built something really beautiful and I threw all of that away," and said his decision "haunts [him] every day."

Bankman-Fried will likely appeal both his conviction and his sentence.

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Christianna Silva
Senior Culture Reporter

Christianna Silva is a senior culture reporter covering social platforms and the creator economy, with a focus on the intersection of social media, politics, and the economic systems that govern us. Since joining Mashable in 2021, they have reported extensively on meme creators, content moderation, and the nature of online creation under capitalism.

Before joining Mashable, they worked as an editor at NPR and MTV News, a reporter at Teen Vogue and VICE News, and as a stablehand at a mini-horse farm. You can follow her on Bluesky @christiannaj.bsky.social and Instagram @christianna_j.

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