Bankman-Fried Seeks Presidential Pardon Amid Trump's Pardoning Trend

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of the now-defunct crypto exchange FTX, has submitted a formal request for a presidential pardon to President Donald Trump. The request is listed on the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney website and is pending review. This move comes as a surprise, given that Trump previously stated he had no intention of pardoning Bankman-Fried.

The exact date of the filing is unclear, but DOJ records indicate it was submitted in 2026. Bankman-Fried is currently serving a 25-year federal prison sentence for orchestrating a massive fraud scheme at FTX and its affiliated trading firm, Alameda Research. The scheme misused billions of dollars in customer funds.