Sam Bankman-Fried agrees to be extradited to U.S. from Bahamas, attorney says


Sam Bankman-Fried, the embattled founder of collapsed crypto exchange FTX, agreed Monday to be extradited to the United States to face federal fraud charges, according to his attorney.
The 30-year-old finance guru was previously arrested in the Bahamas, and his decision not to fight extradition follows a reportedly raucous day in court.
Jerone Roberts, a Bahamian defense lawyer for Bankman-Fried, told The New York Times that his client had agreed to the extradition demands by American authorities, against "the strongest possible legal advice."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We as counsel will prepare the necessary documents to trigger the court [for extradition]," Roberts added. "Mr. Bankman-Fried wishes to put the customers right, and that is what has driven his decision."
Bankman-Fried was charged in the Southern District of New York with a series of criminal and civil offenses relating to the collapse of FTX. The 13-page federal indictment charged him with eight counts of wire fraud as well as conspiracy to defraud the United States, in a massive fraud scheme that investigators say totaled billions of dollars.
The Associated Press reported that Monday's court hearing had to be stopped after Bankman-Fried's lawyers claimed he was put before the court prematurely, and Roberts told the Times that he was "shocked" to see his client at the hearing. AP added that it remains unclear as to when his extradition could actually occur.
It was previously reported that Bankman-Fried was considering dropping his fight against extradition in an effort to make the legal process run more smoothly.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
-
Should you downsize for retirement? Here's what to consider.
The Explainer Moving to a smaller place may seem easier, but there are also some real benefits to staying put
-
What to do if you want to move but don't want to give up your low mortgage rate
the explainer 30-year mortgage rates are currently averaging 7% — and homeowners who secured rates closer to 3% during the pandemic are reluctant to sell their homes
-
Crossword: September 1, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Supreme Court allows social media age check law
Speed Read The court refused to intervene in a decision that affirmed a Mississippi law requiring social media users to verify their ages
-
How will Ford reinvent EV manufacturing to compete with China?
Today's Big Question Henry Ford's assembly line system is being replaced
-
Nvidia hits $4 trillion milestone
Speed Read The success of the chipmaker has been buoyed by demand for artificial intelligence
-
X CEO Yaccarino quits after two years
Speed Read Elon Musk hired Linda Yaccarino to run X in 2023
-
Musk chatbot Grok praises Hitler on X
Speed Read Grok made antisemitic comments and referred to itself as 'MechaHitler'
-
Disney, Universal sue AI firm over 'plagiarism'
Speed Read The studios say that Midjourney copied characters from their most famous franchises
-
Is Apple breaking up with Google?
Today's Big Question Google is the default search engine in the Safari browser. The emergence of artificial intelligence could change that.
-
Amazon launches 1st Kuiper internet satellites
Speed Read The battle of billionaires continues in space