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SBF Just Lost His Biggest Advocate After Tucker Carlson Crypto Interview

By Alex Ioannou

Last Updated: Mar 7, 2025

Fact checked

By Akriti Seth

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Mark Botnick, crisis manager for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, has resigned after latest unannounced Tucker Carlson interview.
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Disclaimer
Crypto is a high-risk asset class. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. You could lose all of your capital. 99Bitcoins may receive advertising commissions for visits to a suggested operator through our affiliate links, at no added cost to you. All our recommendations follow a thorough review process.

Sam Bankman-Fried’s crisis manager has reportedly quit his role following the FTX founder’s prison interview with Tucker Carlson. The Tucker interview was allegedly published unbeknownst to Mark Botnick.

Botnick, who began representing SBF following the infamous FTX exchange collapse in November 2022, resigned yesterday, 7 March 2025. The resignation came after learning of the interview available online.

Botnick confirmed that he has quit representing Bankman-Fried.

SBF Is On  Media Trail With Second Interview In Last Few Weeks

SBF has broken a two-year public silence, starting with a tone-deaf X thread where he talked about the hardship of having to fire people amid Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s DOGE taskforce laying off government workers.

Many believe that Bankman-Fried came out of the woodwork with an agenda. Sympathising with the President and condoning the actions of DOGE.  The internet is theorizing that SBF is hoping for a pardon from Trump.

In both recent appearances, SBF praised Trumpwhile criticizing the former Biden administration. He went on to say that he began to side with the Republican Party more and more following failed engagements with the previous SEC Chair Gary Gensler.

Speaking to Tucker from prison, Bankman-Fried said; “One fact that might be relevant. In 2020, I was center-left, and I gave to Biden’s campaign..I was optimistic he’d be a sort of solid center-left president. I spent the next few years in D.C. a lot. I made dozens of trips there and was really, really shocked by what I saw, not in a good direction, from the administration.

While his political talk isn’t likely to have caused SBF’s crisis manager, Mark Botnick to drop him as a client, the surprise of the interview and further topics likely played a part.

Bankman-Fried went on to talk to Carlson about life in prison with alleged sex trafficker, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. He said; “I’ve only seen one piece of him, which is Diddy in prison, and he’s been kind to people in the unit; he’s been kind to me.”

The crisis manager has reportedly confirmed his position via private communication channels but has yet to address his resignation publicly.

DISCOVER: 20+ Next Crypto to Explode in 2025

Bankman-Fried Trying To Rehabiliate His Image In Hopes Of A Presidential Pardon

Prior to his arrest in December 2022, Bankman-Fried was best known as the eccentric billionaire who practiced “effective altruism” and made huge donations to Democratic politicians.

In the twelve months following the multi-billion dollar collapse of FTX and his initial court hearing, Bankman-Fried was everywhere in the public sphere.

He gave multiple interviews to the press. He often landed himself in trouble. In one instance, he showed a journalist the diary of Catherine Ellison, his former girlfriend. This event led to him being placed in jail to prevent potential witness tampering.

During this period, SBF was also regularly on X posting his unfiltered thoughts on the events that ultimately landed the FTX founder in prison.

It was at this point that Botnick began working with Bankman-Fried. It seems as though someone close to SBF urged him to hire a crisis manager in order to stop implicating himself further.

The Tucker interview was likely the last straw for the crisis manager manager, after her was reportedly caught unaware when Bankman-Fried posted on X about the Trump administration’s efforts to fire federal employees.

Bankman-Fried is serving a 25-year prison sentence after a jury found him guilty in 2023 of seven fraud and money-laundering charges related to the $11 billion collapse of FTX.

EXPLORE: Is Trump’s Bitcoin Reserve a ‘Sell the News’ Event or a Bull Run Trigger?

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Sam Bankman Fried's Crisis Manager Quits

  • Mark Botnick, crisis manager to SBF quits after latest interview from prison with Tucker Carlson
  • Tucker interview last straw for Botnick after already being caught unaware with Bankman-Fried’s recent pro-trump X tirade
  • Many believe that SBF’s recent public appearances are an attempt to curry favour with President Trump in hopes of a pardon
  • Bankman-Fried currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for fraud and money laundering

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Alex Ioannou
Alex Ioannou
On-Chain Journalist

Alex is an aspiring writer focusing on the more degen side of the crypto world. Always on the lookout for the next hot narrative. Read More

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