A glamorous crypto influencer who beforehand acquired Sam Bankman-Fried to open up about his polyamorous intercourse life turned one of many first individuals to go to the disgraced FTX CEO on home arrest.
Tiffany Fong, who interviewed Bankman-Fried twice after FTX filed for Chapter 11 chapter in late November mentioned the disgraced CEO was ‘surprisingly optimistic’ after they spoke.
Bankman-Fried has been underneath home arrest at his mother and father’ $4million residence in Palo Alto, California since December 23, after he was freed in a Manhattan court docket on a $250 million bond. The previous CEO, 30, is dealing with securities and wire fraud fees associated to his collapsed crypto alternate FTX.
He is there after spending time within the infamous Fox Hill Jail within the Bahamas, which Fong mentioned Bankman-Fried known as troublesome ‘with the shortage of psychological stimulation.’
Fong spoke to DailyMail.com about how the assembly took place, Bankman-Fried’s frustrations with jail life and his optimism for the long run regardless of dealing with 115 years in jail if convicted.
A glamorous crypto influencer who beforehand acquired Sam Bankman-Fried to open up about his polyamorous intercourse life turned one of many first individuals to go to the disgraced FTX CEO on home arrest
Tiffany Fong, who interviewed Bankman-Fried twice after FTX filed for Chapter 11 chapter in late November, mentioned the disgraced CEO was ‘surprisingly optimistic’ after they spoke
Fong mentioned that she’d knowledgeable Bankman-Fried she’d be in San Francisco for the vacations to go to household and requested if he was allowed guests. He affirmed, so that they met Tuesday night.
Regardless of the late evening assembly and former discussions of his intercourse life, Fong clarified that ‘we shouldn’t have an intimate relationship.’
It was reported Wednesday that Bankman-Fried is predicted to enter a plea subsequent week in response to felony fees, which allege he defrauded buyers and looted billions of {dollars} in buyer funds at his failed cryptocurrency alternate.
Fong mentioned that Bankman-Fried is ‘not sure’ if he must go to New York in particular person for the plea on January 3.
If convicted on all fees, Bankman-Fried is dealing with 115 years in jail.
Fong mentioned: ‘He’s conscious of the opportunity of jail time, but it surely doesn’t appear he needs to ruminate extensively on the worst case state of affairs: a lifetime in jail. I consider he feels that internally spiraling concerning the chance can be an unproductive use of his time.’
Following his December 12 arrest within the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried was held within the infamous Fox Hill Jail, the place inmates are reportedly crammed in cells with a number of different inmates, with out entry to operating water or different technique of fundamental hygiene.
On Tuesday evening, unbiased crypto journalist Tiffany Fong mentioned that she visited Sam Bankman-Fried at his mother and father’ residence in Palo Alto
The house of Sam Bankman-Fried’s mother and father on the sting of Stanford College’s campus in Palo Alto in Stanford, California the place he’s at present underneath home arrest
Fong mentioned that she’d knowledgeable Bankman-Fried she’d be in San Francisco for the vacations to go to household and requested if he was allowed guests. He affirmed, so that they met Tuesday night
Regardless of the late evening assembly and former discussions of his intercourse life, Fong clarified that ‘we shouldn’t have an intimate relationship’
Sam Bankman-Fried being escorted by Ghislaine Maxwell’s former bodyguard Jimmy Harkins from court docket final week in New York after he was launched on a $250million bond
Fong mentioned of his jail expertise: ‘He clearly didn’t take pleasure in his time there. It general appeared that he had extra problem grappling with the shortage of psychological stimulation in Fox Hill than the bodily situations and atmosphere.’
It was earlier reported that Bankman-Fried was held within the sickbay on the jail – dubbed ‘Fox Hell’ by fearful locals – the place he reportedly acquired preferential remedy over different inmates.
The embattled crypto criminal reportedly had entry to his personal bathroom, operating water, a TV, native newspapers, crossword puzzles and a bunch of different perks – together with meals that adheres to his vegan way of life.
Fong advised the New York Submit: ‘He positively expressed remorse and regret various instances. He’s attempting to assemble his tackle occasions…. He seemed like he was attempting to assemble his ideas about what occurred.’
She additionally famous that whereas she’s certain his mother and father ‘are having a troublesome time, he is talked about that they have been frequently supportive.’
On Wednesday, Fong, 26, tweeted: ‘I met with Sam Bankman-Fried final evening. I haven’t written something considerate out about our dialog – I’m simply sharing as a result of I’m getting some questions on this. I’m nonetheless in vacation mode & am visiting household in SF atm, so please be affected person.’
On December 18, Fong posted his image on the White Home’s Christmas celebration, she wrote within the caption: ‘I let POTUS scent my hair’
Fong mentioned of her assembly with Bankman-Fried: ‘He positively expressed remorse and regret various instances. He’s attempting to assemble his tackle occasions…. He seemed like he was attempting to assemble his ideas about what occurred’
In November, Bankman-Fried made among the most explosive revelations surrounding FTX to Fong.
Bankman-Fried mentioned he thought ‘society’ had spent sufficient time speculating concerning the love lifetime of him and his fellow executives dwelling within the Albany resort.
‘We, as a society, have, in my view, in my humble opinion, have spent about sufficient time this week attempting to determine whether or not anybody dwelling in Albany was polyamorous,’ Bankman-Fried mentioned.
‘I really feel like I’ve answered that query so much, and the reply is simply too boring for individuals to, like, consider.’
Rumors of the sexual antics of Bankman-Fried and his coworker roommates within the Bahamas started to floor as FTX started to break down.
In response to a November report in CoinDesk, all people dwelling in the home was paired up with one another, or else was once in some unspecified time in the future.
Amongst them was Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend, Caroline Ellison, the CEO of FTX’s sister firm Alameda Analysis.
Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend, Caroline Ellison, the CEO of FTX’s sister firm Alameda Analysis, turned the middle of rumors concerning the polyamorous romantic world of FTX
In her now-deleted Tumblr, Ellison wrote in 2020 underneath the deal with Worldoptimization, ‘Once I first began my foray into poly, I considered it as a radical break from my trad previous, however tbh I’ve come to resolve the one acceptable type of poly is finest characterised as one thing like “imperial Chinese language harem”‘
Bankman-Fried wanting harried within the Bahamas in November as FTX collapsed round him
In a February Tumblr publish she wrote about her ‘foray into poly’ and mentioned that in a polyamorous relationship everybody ought to have a ‘rating of their companions’ and ‘vicious energy struggles for greater ranks.’
She mentioned: ‘Once I first began my foray into poly, I considered it as a radical break from my trad previous, however tbh I’ve come to resolve the one acceptable type of poly is finest characterised as one thing like “imperial Chinese language harem.””
None of this non-hierarchical bulls***; everybody ought to have a rating of their companions, individuals ought to know the place they fall on the rating, and there ought to be vicious energy struggles for the upper ranks.’
As Bankman-Fried complained about media hypothesis concerning the romantic atmosphere at FTX, former workers revealed the outrageous expenditures they loved whereas there.
The Bahamas headquarters had meals catered to it each day, and workers loved ‘free groceries, barbershop pop-up and bi-weekly massages,’ a former worker advised the Monetary Instances. Within the US, staff have been allowed $200 for DoorDash each day.
There was additionally a ‘full suite of vehicles and fuel coated for all workers [and] limitless, full expense coated journeys to any workplace globally.’
Amazon doesn’t ship to the Bahamas, so FTX opted to rent personal jets to herald worker’s packages.
‘[It was] children main children,’ a former worker mentioned. ‘Your complete operation was idiotically inefficient, however equally mesmerizing.’
‘I had by no means witnessed a lot cash in my life. I do not suppose anyone had, together with SBF.’
In response to stories that Bankman-Fried and his workers frequently partied exhausting with medicine or leaned closely on amphetamines to work for hours on finish, the previous CEO mentioned such issues by no means occurred.
‘There have been no wild events.’ He advised the New York Instances on Wednesday. ‘At our events we play board video games. Twenty % of individuals would have 1 / 4 of a beer every and the remainder of us wouldn’t drink something.’
He mentioned he had been prescribed sure medicines to assist him work. ‘I feel they assist me focus a bit bit,’ he mentioned.
Albany, the Bahamas resort the place Bankman-Fried arrange the FTX headquarters
Bankman-Fried lived along with his FTX co-workers in a luxurious residence on the Albany resort within the Bahamas
The posh Bahamas residence the place Bankman-Fried arrange the FTX headquarters
When she requested how the corporate’s ended up being utilized by Alameda Analysis, he mentioned: ‘It was a messy mixture of issues – numerous issues I ought to have caught and numerous issues I ought to have been far more cautious about.’
Bankman-Fried additionally advised Fong that he did not know the right way to code and that he could not have constructed a secret approach to transfer cash between his firm and Alameda Analysis even when he needed to.
Lastly, the disgraced crypto dealer advised Fong that he donated to Republican politicians in addition to Democrats.
He mentioned: ‘All my Republican donations have been darkish however the cause was not for regulatory causes, it was that reporters freak the f*** out if you donate to Republicans and I didn’t wish to take care of that.’
Bankman-Fried might be arraigned three days into the brand new 12 months at 2pm on January 3 earlier than US District Choose Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan federal court docket.
Kaplan was given the case on Tuesday, after the unique decide recused herself because of her husband’s legislation agency having suggested FTX previous to its surprising collapse.
Bankman-Fried stands {accused} of participating in a years-long ‘fraud of epic proportions,’ that he executed primarily through the use of buyer deposits to assist his Alameda Analysis buying and selling agency, in addition to to purchase actual property and make record-setting political contributions.
Choose Kaplan is finest recognized to have been the decide who’s overseeing two civil lawsuits introduced in opposition to former President Donald Trump by author E. Jean Carroll claiming she was defamed when Trump denied raping her in Bergdorf Goodman practically 30 years in the past.
Kaplan, who has a status for being a no-nonsense jurist, additionally oversaw the case introduced by Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre, who alleged the royal sexually abused her when she was 17 on the London residence of Ghislaine Maxwell.
In the meantime, Bankman-Fried has introduced on board high personal investigator Jimmy Harkins, who previously labored for Ghislaine Maxwell, amongst different high-profile people.
Harkins was seen escorting Bankman-Fried from court docket final week. The failed crypto-boss has additionally employed Christian Everdell, one among Maxwell’s attorneys.
Previous to his December 12 arrest within the Bahamas, SBF acknowledged risk-management failures at FTX, however maintained that he doesn’t consider he’s criminally liable.
Two of his chief associates, former Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison and former FTX chief expertise officer Gary Wang, have entered responsible pleas over their roles in FTX’s collapse and have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
