Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has formally applied for a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump, according to records from the US Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney. The request, filed this year, remains pending.
Bankman-Fried is serving a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2023 of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering over the collapse of FTX, which prosecutors said involved the theft of billions of dollars in customer funds. He is also appealing his conviction, arguing that the trial was unfair.
The pardon application marks the latest effort by the former cryptocurrency executive and his supporters to secure clemency. However, Trump has previously said he has no intention of granting a pardon, although the White House noted that any final decision rests solely with the president.