Convicted fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried revealed what it’s been like sharing a prison unit with Diddy.
Bankman-Fried — who is serving 25 years on fraud, conspiracy and money laundering charges in relation to his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX — is currently locked up with the rapper, 55, as he awaits trial at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson posted via X on Thursday, March 6, Bankman-Fried, 33, described Diddy as “kind.”
“Obviously I’ve only seen one piece of him, which is Diddy in prison,” Bankman-Fried told Carlson, 55. “He’s been kind to people in the unit. He’s been kind to me.”
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He added, “It’s a position that no one wants to be in. Obviously he doesn’t. I don’t. It’s kind of a soul-crushing place for the world in general. What we see are just the people that are around us on the inside other than who we are on the outside.”
Diddy has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. The rap mogul also faces dozens of lawsuits from individuals who claim he harmed and exploited them through drugs, alcohol and physical abuse. Diddy has denied all the allegations against him.
Bankman-Fried said it’s been “really interesting” to see how the other incarcerated individuals in their unit have interacted with Diddy.
“Some of them are thinking, like, ‘Wow, this is sort of a big opportunity,’” Bankman-Fried explained. “You know, to meet people they otherwise wouldn’t get to meet. It shocked me the first time I heard that. It makes sense from their perspective, but boy, is that not how I think about prison.”
Bankman-Fried said he’s managed to make “some friends,” but acknowledged the bizarre circumstances he and Diddy find themselves in.
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“It’s a weird environment,” he noted. “It’s sort of a combination of a few other high-profile cases and a lot of ex-gangsters, or alleged ex-gangsters.”
Speaking of his fellow inmates, Bankman-Fried gave kudos to them for their board game abilities — albeit in a roundabout way.
“They’re good at chess,” he marveled. “That’s one thing I’ve learned. Former armed robbers who don’t speak English and probably didn’t graduate middle school, a surprising number of them are very good at chess. I’m not saying they’re Grandmasters. But I lose games to them all the time. I was not expecting that.”
Diddy’s trial is scheduled to begin on May 5.
