> At a Glance
> – Donald Trump ruled out clemency for Sam Bankman-Fried in a New York Times interview.
> – The FTX founder, now serving 25 years, had lobbied for release after praising previous Trump pardons.
> – Trump also refused pardons for Sean “Diddy” Combs, Nicolás Maduro, and Robert Menendez.
> – Why it matters: The decision ends speculation on high-profile clemency and keeps SBF in prison for the foreseeable future.
Donald Trump has formally closed the door on presidential pardons for several controversial figures, most notably Sam Bankman-Fried, the former crypto mogul behind FTX’s collapse.
Trump’s Pardon Track Record
Last year, the president granted clemency to crypto-linked names such as Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Ross Ulbricht, and Changpeng Zhao. He also signed the release of Ilya Lichtenstein under the First Step Act, freeing him weeks into a five-year term.
- Arthur Hayes & Benjamin Delo – BitMEX executives
- Ross Ulbricht – Silk Road founder
- Changpeng Zhao – Binance CEO
- Ilya Lichtenstein – Bitfinex hacker, freed in under two months
SBF’s Failed Lobby
Bankman-Fried began his campaign after seeing those pardons. In February 2025, his parents approached the White House on his behalf, and SBF publicly praised Trump’s clemency for ex-Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández.
Trump told the Times:
> “I will not be pardoning Sam Bankman-Fried.”
The brief statement erases any near-term path to freedom for the 25-year sentence tied to FTX’s November 2022 implosion.
Other Denials
The president extended his refusal to:
- Sean “Diddy” Combs – jailed on prostitution-related charges
- Nicolás Maduro – Venezuelan president detained for narco-terrorism
- Robert Menendez – ex-senator serving 11 years for bribery and acting as a foreign agent
Key Takeaways
- Sam Bankman-Fried will remain in prison under Trump’s term.
- Trump’s clemency spree bypassed the FTX founder despite his lobbying efforts.
- Denials also apply to Diddy, Maduro, and Menendez, signaling a narrow view on who merits relief.
With Trump’s term continuing, SBF’s next shot at a pardon lies with a future administration.
