During a recent court hearing, Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, asserted his right to shape the narrative surrounding him. Unpublished tweets, which came to light through CoinDesk, hint at his attempts to redefine his public image as early as December, with discussions about his mental health and prescribed medication.
Bankman-Fried expressed his perspective, stating, “Life exists on a spectrum.” He acknowledged not having a major depressive disorder but mentioned testing positive for dysthymia, a form of mild, long-term depression, and anhedonia, the inability to experience pleasure. He explained that while his lows weren’t excessively low, he seldom experienced highs.
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Recently, the New York Times published excerpts from a 250-page collection of draft tweets titled “EmSam,” leaked by Tiffany Fong, a social media personality and close associate of Bankman-Fried.
Bankman-Fried, who had a million followers on Twitter, frequently shared his thoughts with influencers. However, the unpublished tweets reveal his contemplations as he grappled with fraud charges linked to FTX‘s collapse. By March, his access to the social media platform was restricted, and he could not visit approved websites while confined to his parents’ home in Stanford, California.
Bankman-Fried shared, “According to Twitter, it’s because, uh, something about veganism or gambling or addiction or sex. EmSam helps a bit. It helps me stay focused and organized.“
In August, the Federal District Court in Manhattan revoked Bankman-Fried’s bail, citing interference with trial witnesses, including sending documents to the media. Prosecutors alleged that he attempted to intimidate Caroline Ellison, a key witness and former FTX executive he had dated, by sharing diary excerpts that portrayed her negatively. Bankman-Fried’s legal team is challenging a temporary gag order preventing him from speaking to the media.
Bankman-Fried reflected on his mental health, revealing that he first noticed issues during high school. He wrote, “I’d already lived for 16 years. And somehow, never during those years had I really asked myself what made me happy. Nothing does… And at the end of the day, I don’t really know what ‘happiness’ means. None of us really do. But the thing everyone describes—it’s not a thing I feel.”
He also shared that over the past decade, he had been prescribed EmSam, an antidepressant, to manage his mental health. He promoted EmSam and hired a company coach who prescribed the medication to FTX employees, a practice that drew scrutiny from the Department of Justice.
While in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, concerns arose regarding Bankman-Fried’s access to prescription drugs. His attorney, Marc Cohen, mentioned in an August hearing that Bankman-Fried was not receiving his Adderall and was worried about running out of EmSam. Additionally, his vegan dietary needs were not being met, forcing him to subsist on limited food options.
Despite the dramatic shift from a luxurious penthouse in the Bahamas to a Brooklyn jail, one of Bankman-Fried’s unpublished tweets suggests that material wealth has never been a source of happiness for him. He wrote, “I’ve never really been into fancy things. I’d like to think it’s because it would be selfish, but honestly, a lot of it is because fancy things won’t make me happy anyway. Because nothing will.”