London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

In sweltering Bahamas courtroom, Bankman-Fried fights incarceration

Cordoned-off roads, a sweltering courtroom and numerous delays marked Sam Bankman-Fried's first in-person public appearance since his crypto company collapsed.
The Bahamas courtroom hearing, conducted over the course of six hours, saw Bankman-Fried, dressed in a suit rather than his typical t-shirt attire, seeking bail to dispute his extradition to the U.S. He was ultimately refused and faces possible extradition to the United States.

It was a stunning fall from grace for the crypto boss, once estimated by Forbes as worth as much as $26.5 billion.

"I'm not waiving," Bankman-Fried said when asked if he would seek to waive his right to an extradition hearing.

It was a rare comment in a hearing that was largely taken up with lawyers discussing process. In another comment, Bankman-Fried referred to the night of his arrest as "hectic."

There was high anticipation ahead of the appearance by Bankman-Fried, who has done numerous media interviews since his firm collapsed but not been widely seen in public.

The day started with Bankman-Fried ushered into court away from the main entrance and photographers and reporters who crowded to get a shot.

Bahamas Chief Magistrate JoyAnn Ferguson-Pratt contributed witty asides that often left the courtroom chuckling, once quipping "I wasn't born yesterday" at the defense counsel's interpretation of the law.

Ferguson-Pratt's repeatedly forgetting the defendant's last name led to laughter.

"Samuel," she said before trailing off, with the once-billionaire crypto magnate reminding her of his name: "Bankman-Fried."

People in the courtroom fanned themselves to keep cool in the tropical heat as sun shone through the windows.

The hearing was adjourned twice, once to consult about the court's jurisdiction to grant bail, and again in the afternoon.

It also included an extensive discussion of Bankman-Fried's medication, which his lawyer said was for conditions including depression, insomnia and attention deficit disorder.

At the start of the proceedings, Bankman-Fried asked to change an Emsam patch, a medical strip applied to the skin that is used to treat adult depression. He asked to briefly leave the court room to take the medication.

Bankman-Fried acknowledged that he had not taken his medications with him when he was arrested, which he attributed to having had a "hectic night".

His parents, Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, at times seemed frustrated with the arguments made by the prosecution, which described him as a flight risk.

Bankman-Fried's defense counsel pointed out that Bankman-Fried had spent weeks in The Bahamas after his business collapsed without attempting to leave the country.

At the end of the hearing, his head lowered, he hugged his parents. A van outside the court waited to take him away.
Comments

Brad 3 year ago
Yep, Rodger CIA will use new mRNA-based bio-weapon to take out Bankrupt-Fried Turkey
Oh ya 3 year ago
Before his court date in the USA he will join Jeffery as the Dems and Republicans who took money from him can not have him talk. They are disconnecting the cameras outside his cell now

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
×