Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the founder and former CEO of the now-defunct crypto exchange FTX, has raised a stir in the crypto industry with his recent actions. SBF’s attempts at self-preservation have added to the investors’ mistrust of him.
According to some investors and analysts, SBF’s actions constitute “tampering with evidence,” and he should be on his way to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. The FTX ex-CEO has deleted multiple tweets posted in the lead-up to his exchange’s liquidity crunch.
SBF’s bizarre Twitter thread raises an alarm
SBF began a bizarre Twitter chat on November 14. by posting many tweets of a single letter, many hours apart, that collectively read “What HAPPENED.” After that, he sent out a tweet attempting to explain his actions. In his most recent tweet, published on November 15 at 5:30 a.m. UTC, SBF stated, “This is all as I remember it, but my memory might be faulty in parts.”
On Sunday, the bizarre tweets began with “What” and “H.” He asserted to the New York Times, “It’s going to be more than one word.” “I’m making it up as I go.” Bankman-Fried said he did not know why he tweeted the bizarre message when probed further.
Twitter users immediately speculated on the meaning of the messages, with crypto YouTuber Stephen Findeisen suggesting he was “back on amphetamines,” likely in reference to Bankman-Oct. Fried’s 2020 podcast in which he discussed experimenting with the amphetamine Adderall.
Early on in the weird Twitter thread, some joked that Bankman-attorney Fried’s physically prevented him from sharing potentially damaging information in the event of legal action.
Alex Berenson, a journalist and novelist stated that Bankman-tweets Fried’s could be an attempt to explain his acts in court by claiming insanity or that he was under mental duress.
Some believe the tweets were a reference to Alameda Research’s previous co-CEO Sam Trabucco, who left the company “to relax” in August and was notorious for closing his tweets with “what happened?”
Tuesday, the former boss of Alameda Research tweeted a message of encouragement to everyone touched by the catastrophic situation at FTX. “Much love to everyone,” tweeted Trabucco. “I’m sure the past few days have been dark for many, and I hope the road ahead is brighter.”
Bankman-Fried has deleted potentially damaging tweets in the past, including a series of tweets written on November 7 declaring FTX and its assets were “fine.” Bankman-Fried allegedly used the new tweets to cover up the deletion of his older “incriminating” tweets in an apparent attempt to fool tweet-tracking algorithms that use his account’s total tweet count to identify deleted tweets.
At this point, it is evident that SBF is attempting to avoid prison by whatever means necessary. There is no part of him devoted to rescuing the investors who trusted him with their hard-earned money. Just as previous crypto crooks have evaded justice in the past and others like Do Kwon SBF are currently on the run, it is possible that SBF will also escape prosecution.
Elon Musk and the crypto elite respond to SBF’s NYT interview
As promised a few days ago, SBF would at some time provide his opinion on FTX’s demise. The New York Times (NYT) piece published yesterday afternoon featuring an interview with SBF falls far short of these assertions.
The article, titled “How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Crypto Empire Collapsed,” does not even mention the words “Fraud,” “Enron,” “Crime,” “Illiquid,” “Stolen,” “Hidden,” Criminal,” or “Back door.”
According to the New York Times, SBF conducted an interview on Sunday that lasted until after midnight. According to writer David Yaffe-Bellany, he appeared quite calm throughout. SBF stated, “You would’ve thought that I’d be getting no sleep right now, and instead, I’m getting some,” SBF said. “It could be worse.”
Elon Musk and other prominent crypto figures have harshly criticized the paper. Musk wrote, “Why the puff piece NY Times?” Earlier in the day, Musk replied to a tweet that raised the subject of whether or not the Democratic Party used FTX to launder money.
Kraken founder Jesse Powell had harsh words for the New York Times, claiming that the media must be held accountable for their role in legitimizing and boosting the stature of this fraudulent Ponzi scheme.
Even now, they downplay the story. At the same time, they were pumping the FTX scam, they were writing defamatory gossip pieces about industry stalwarts, driving their audiences away from safe, reliable, and proven venues. It’s too generous to call these people clowns. They betray their duty.
Jesse Powell
Additionally, ZCash’s CEO, Zooko Wilcox, accused the New York Times of “disgusting complicity.”
He has ruined the lives of countless people through theft and fraud, and the NYT is now helping him delay or evade justice by whitewashing him in their respected, influential newspaper. I doubt that this is just a mistake on their part.
Zooko Wilcox
