FTX co-founder's alleged extravagance comes to light

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Following the court filing that shows FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) wants access to FTX’s $460 million in Robinhood shares, Delaware bankruptcy court documents show tens of millions were spent by the FTX team in 2022 on living accommodations, hotels, food, and flights. Moreover, SBF’s quantitative trading firm allegedly owes more than $55,000 to Jimmy Buffett’s beach resort, Margaritaville, after Alameda and FTX executives occupied 20 suites for a few months last year.

  With every court filing published, it seems that FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) so-called “effective altruism” wasn’t a top priority during the last nine months. On Jan. 8, 2023, Bitcoin.com News reported on SBF telling the court he needed access to the $460 million in Robinhood shares to “pay for his criminal defense.” Furthermore, the former FTX CEO explained that customers “face only the possibility of economic loss.”

Meanwhile, court filings reviewed this week detail that FTX’s and Alameda’s executives spent tens of millions lavishly on residential accommodations, hotels, food, and flights last year. Records show that $15.4 million was spent on luxury hotels and accommodations. A great deal of that money was dedicated to paying for SBF’s $30 million luxury penthouse at the Albany oceanside resort. $3.6 million was used to purchase hotel rooms at the Grand Hyatt, a four-star hotel, and $800,000 was spent at the Rosewood, a five-star hotel.

Reports also show that Jimmy Buffett’s beach resort, Margaritaville, is owed more than $55,000 as the resort’s management has registered as a creditor in the bankruptcy case. FTX’s and Alameda’s employees reportedly stayed in 20 suites for a number of months last year, racking up the bill but never paying for the Margaritaville accommodations. In addition to hotels, fancy suites, and luxury apartments, $3.9 million was spent on flights and private aircraft. When an FTX employee needed an Amazon package picked up from Miami, they would allegedly use a private plane to ship the boxes over to the island.

Other reports say the co-founder was so altruistic that SBF regularly spent more than $2,500 at the Nassau bistro for lunch and tossed millions at Bahamian politicians and officials prior to FTX’s collapse. Fox News disclosed that SBF also owns a multimillion-dollar, 52-foot HCB yacht. On Jan. 6, 2023, Business Insider’s Pete Syme reached out to SBF’s lawyers to ask about the ostensible lavish spending the FTX co-founder is said to have participated in. “Lawyers for FTX and Bankman-Fried didn’t immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

WRITING BY OSASWAP