SBF tells New York Times that he 'could be worse'

Quick Take

  • Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried told the New York Times that he had numerous regrets over the collapse of the company.
  • SBF says he’s been getting sleep and playing video games.

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried told the New York Times that he had numerous regrets over the collapse of the company in a wide-ranging interview on Sunday in which the paper described him as "surprisingly calm."

“You would’ve thought that I’d be getting no sleep right now, and instead I’m getting some,” Bankman-Fried told the Times. “It could be worse.”

Bankman-Fried said the exchange's margin position was "substantially larger than I had thought it was," but he wouldn't provide further details other than to say that it was in the billions of dollars. He declined to comment on his current location.

Bankman-Fried said that he'd wished he'd taken less on.

"The venture stuff was probably not really worth it given the attention that it took,” he told the Times, adding that he'd been "working constructively with regulators, bankruptcy officials and the company to try to do what’s best for consumers."

When asked if he had relied to much on a small group of close colleagues, Bankman-Fried said, "Realistically speaking, I don’t think anyone can maintain close contact and close communication with more than 15 people.” He also said he was no longer in a romantic relationship with Alameda Research head Caroline Ellison, but declined to comment further. 

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The New York Times said that he declined to discuss the prospect of prison time, but he said that he's been occupying his time by playing the video game Storybook Brawl.

"It helps me unwind a bit,” he said. “It clears my mind.”

He couldn't explain a series of cryptic tweets he's been posting over the past two days, other than to say he was making it up as he went along.

"I don’t know,” he said. “I’m improvising.”


Disclaimer: The former CEO and majority shareholder of The Block has disclosed a series of loans from former FTX and Alameda founder Sam Bankman-Fried.

© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Author

Nathan Crooks is the U.S managing editor at The Block, based in Miami. He was previously at Bloomberg News for 12 years, where he helmed coverage of South Florida after roles as a breaking news editor and bureau chief in Caracas, Venezuela. He's interviewed presidents, government ministers and CEOs, and, besides crypto, has covered major news events on the ground from earthquakes to hurricanes to the Chilean mine rescue in 2018. Nathan, a native of Clarion, Pennsylvania, holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, where he completed a specialist in political science, and an MBA from American University in Washington, D.C.

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