--- title: "Sam Bankman-Fried’s Mom Says the Government Is Being Super Mean to Her Beautiful Boy" description: "As Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial draws nearer, his mom, Barbara Fried, is holding the line that it's all just a government witch hunt." date: "2023-09-26" modified: "2023-09-26" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/sam-bankman-fried-mom-government-mean" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Future Society" tags: - "ftx" - "sam bankman-fried" - "sbf" - "the digest" --- # Sam Bankman-Fried’s Mom Says the Government Is Being Super Mean to Her Beautiful Boy ![As Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial draws nearer, his mom, Barbara Fried, is holding the line that it's all just a government witch hunt.]() *\Image: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty / Futurism\* ## Mama's Boy As former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's trial draws nearer, the disgraced *Forbes* cover star's mother, Stanford law professor Barbara Fried, is holding the line that her son is completely innocent, thanks very much! Bankman-Fried, whose impended criminal trial is due to start on Oct 3, has been accused by both [the corpse of FTX]() and the US government of defrauding millions of FTX investors and misappropriating customer funds. The allegations are gravely serious, and if SBF loses his case, he could face up to life in prison. But [as *The New Yorker* reports](), his mom — as is probably to be expected — doesn't seem to be buying the allegations. In an email to the magazine, Fried decried the prosecution and bankruptcy court's behavior as "McCarthyite" — a [term]() referring to the tactics of former US Senator Joseph McCarthy, who in the 1950s used propaganda and other fear-stoking tactics to lead witch hunts against perceived Communists — and a "relentless pursuit of total destruction" enabled by "a credulous public that will believe anything they say." "It takes a lifetime to build up a reputation as honorable people," Fried continued, according to the *New Yorker*. "It takes five minutes to destroy it, which they now have done." ## Company Line Of course, on the one hand, it's not exactly shocking to see Fried take the denial path. Family is family. But that said, it's worth noting that Fried and Bankman's role in the FTX fallout is a bit more complicated than that of doting parents. Both figures appear to have been [fairly involved in the company](), and last week, the couple was [sued by FTX]() on grounds that Bankman and Fried "either knew" about or "ignored bright red flags" regarding their son's crimes, meanwhile profiting immensely off the once-lucrative company. (Speaking to the *New Yorker*, Fried condemned these accusations as well, claiming the new lawsuit is simply aimed to "enflame the jury pool on the eve of Sam's trial by portraying all of us as a pack of thieves.") Again, though, parents are parents, and no mom wants to believe that their kid committed a massive fraud. Nor do they probably want to believe that they might have enabled or turned a blind eye to their child's alleged crimes. Even so, SBF often finds a way to [make himself]() sound [awfully guilty](), and though there *is* a chance that the jury decides to acquit the former crypto wunderkind, the Bankman-Fried family appears to be on somewhat of an [island]() in the fight to prove SBF's innocence. Anyway. How soon until Bankman and Fried [launch their own Substacks]()? **More on Bankman, Fried, and Bankman-Fried:** [*Sam Bankman-Fried, Bored on House Arrest, Starts a Substack*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()