Sam Bankman-Fried Discusses Prison Life and Bond With Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

The convicted FTX founder reflects on life at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center and his unexpected connection with the rapper awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Sam Bankman-Fried, serving a 25-year sentence for fraud, described prison as ‘soul-crushing’ but noted he has made friends, including Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who he says has been kind to him and others in their unit.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, detained on federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, is housed in the same high-security unit as Bankman-Fried and denies the allegations against him ahead of his May 2025 trial.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Bankman-Fried shared that prison life involves reading, playing chess with fellow inmates, and using items like muffins as informal currency.
Bankman-Fried suggested his political donations to both Democrats and Republicans may have influenced his legal challenges, and he expressed hope for clemency from President Trump.
The Metropolitan Detention Center unit where they are housed also includes other high-profile inmates and is described as isolated from the general prison population for security reasons.