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Sam Bankman-Fried, the FTX founder serving a 25-year sentence, told a fellow inmate he plans to launch his own token after release, claiming "everyone will flock to it" — though the inmate himself was skeptical. SBF estimated he would need $50 million to $100 million upfront to build a serious business post-prison.
The comments emerged in a New York Magazine profile that also revealed SBF takes Adderall daily for clinical depression and ADHD and has been writing a serialized prison memoir titled Manfred. The profile paints a picture of someone still strategizing about a financial comeback despite the scale of the FTX collapse.
Why it matters
SBF formally submitted a presidential pardon application to the Trump administration on June 8. The move drew immediate market attention: on Polymarket, the probability of a pardon being granted doubled to 14% following the news. SBF has reportedly framed Trump as a fellow victim of politically motivated prosecution in his appeal.
Market impact
A pardon remains a low-probability outcome at 14% on prediction markets, but the doubling of that probability in a short window signals that some traders see it as non-trivial. Any token launch by SBF post-release would face enormous regulatory and reputational headwinds, making the comment read more as prison speculation than a credible roadmap.
Source: [Sam Bankman-Fried’s Desperate Campaign to Get Free — Intelligencer](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/sam-bankman-fried-prison-donald-trump-pardon-appeal.html)
Frequently asked questions
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What token does SBF plan to launch after prison?
SBF did not name a specific token. He told a fellow inmate he would "start my own coin" after release, estimating he would need $50M–$100M to build a real business first. The inmate who reported the comment suggested SBF may have been joking.
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What are the current odds of SBF receiving a presidential pardon?
On Polymarket, the probability of a pardon being granted doubled to 14% after SBF formally submitted his application to the Trump administration on June 8. That remains a low-probability outcome but the move in odds was notable.
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How did SBF frame his pardon appeal to the Trump administration?
According to the New York Magazine profile, SBF reportedly framed Trump as a fellow victim of politically motivated prosecution as part of his argument for clemency.
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What is SBF's prison memoir about?
SBF has been writing a serialized prison memoir titled Manfred while incarcerated. The New York Magazine profile does not detail its full contents beyond noting its existence as part of his prison routine.
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What sentence is SBF currently serving and when could he be released?
SBF is serving a 25-year federal prison sentence following his conviction related to the collapse of FTX. He is currently 34 years old. A pardon or early release would be required for him to act on any post-prison plans significantly sooner.
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