Myself and producer Emma Ailes traveled to The Bahamas to interview Sam Bankman-Fried at a strange time.
It was December 2022 and SBF was essentially in hiding in his luxury apartment on the island.
Customers and investors were raging on the airwaves and online about the collapse of his empire. Everyone thought it was just a matter of time until he would be arrested.
He accepted an interview request from the BBC and several other reporters, and over the course of about a week, did his best to convince the world that he was sorry that it had all gone so wrong – but that he wasn’t a fraudster. None of it was deliberate, SBF repeatedly said.
He turned up late for our meeting in his trademark shorts and scruffy t-shirt. He was glued to his phone both before and after our 45-minute interview, and it was the strangest one I’ve ever done.
He accepted all the tough questions I had for him and there was no time limit. All the while, his left leg furiously bounced up and down but his demeanor was otherwise measured and calm.
He was obviously exhausted and although he didn’t admit it – he must have known police would knock on the door soon.
And they did a few days later. The next time I saw him was in photos – he was in handcuffs at the airport being extradited to the US.
Tags: Sam BankmanFried sentencing live #Crypto King #jailed years
