--- title: "Sam Bankman-Fried Caught Either Sleeping or Resting His Eyes in Court" description: "In a chaotic court hearing, Sam Bankman-Fried \"leaned back with his eyes closed\" and had to be \"awakened by a court official,\" according to Reuters." date: "2022-12-20" modified: "2022-12-20" 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-sleeping-resting-eyes" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Sleep" tags: - "ftx" - "sam bankman-fried" - "sbf" - "the digest" --- # Sam Bankman-Fried Caught Either Sleeping or Resting His Eyes in Court ![In a seemingly chaotic court hearing on Monday, SBF "leaned back with his eyes closed" and had to be "awakened by a court official," according to Reuters.]() *\Image: MEGA via Getty / Futurism\* ## Zzzzzzzzzzz For most, sitting in a Bahamian courtroom, during *your own extradition trial*, might not feel like the best time to get a lil' shut eye. But sleep is important, and Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of the [bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX]() currently facing [US criminal charges](), has been using the weeks since FTX's collapse to [get more rest]() than [he's reportedly had]() in a while. Case in point: at what seems to have been a truly chaotic court hearing on Monday, SBF "leaned back with his eyes closed," and seemingly had to be "awakened by a court official," [according to *Reuters*](). If you're thinking something along the lines of "why would someone who could be facing decades in prison rest his eyes while literally on trial," you'd be forgiven. But that wasn't the only thing he was admonished for in the court room — apparently, [per *Bloomberg*](), by the time he was asked to stand in front of the judge, SBF had shed his suit jacket, untucked his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves. Listen, we're not experts on normal court procedure. But this is generally *not* what defendants do. ## On Brand Of course, while bizarre, this is all [very on-brand]() for the once-high-flying Bankman-Fried. The tech world is full of distinct, cultivated characters, distinguishable through a [curated iconography](); SBF's own [carefully-controlled narrative]() was that of the anti-brand, anti-glitz disruptor, the billionaire ingenue who [slept on beanbags]() and constantly fidgeted and wore his everyday shorts-and-t-shirt everywhere, even in [ads next to supermodels]() and on [stages next to former presidents](). It seems fitting — and even self-serving — that SBF would untuck his shirt and rest his eyes in a courtroom. After all, it worked in investment meetings. ## Weird Zone It's worth noting that it wasn't just rolled up sleeves and apparent nap-taking that made SBF's Monday court appearance so strange. The ex-CEO reportedly backtracked on his initial plan to fight extradition to the US — *without telling his own lawyer.* It was actually a "shock" to SBF's counsel that he showed up at all, [according to *The New York Times*](). As a result of the confusion, the judge ordered that Bankman-Fried be sent back to jail for a few more days to, in short, collect his thoughts. "I certainly feel," said the magistrate judge overseeing the matter, according to the *NYT*, that "it is a wasted day." **READ MORE:** *[FTX's Bankman-Fried to agree to U.S. extradition in about-face after hearing - source]()* \[*Reuters*\] **More on SBF's case:** *[FTX's New CEO Says Company Did "Old Fashioned Embezzlement"]()* ## 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]()