NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Embattled former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said he was not solicited for anything while in The Bahamas during his first local interview that aired yesterday.
Bankman-Fried noted that apart from going to several charitable organizations, no one locally had asked him for anything.
He spoke to Our News’ Jerome Sawyer during an hour-long interview that aired yesterday.
“I don’t think I have ever been asked for anything here. That’s not the feeling I have gotten. Obviously, we have tried to support the country the best we can but thats’ been giving to charities here,” Bankman-Fried said.
When asked about his relationship with Prime Minister Philip Davis, Bankman-Fried said, “From everything I have seen, he’s been a great leader, incredibly empathic and well-intentioned.”
The former FTX CEO acknowledged that he had an open line of communication with regulators, namely the Securities Commission, something he said he was appreciative of, as this was not the case in most other jurisdictions.
As to the company’s plans to construct its $60 million headquarters in western New Providence, Bankman-Fried noted that as of now “things are on hold.”
He also contended that FTX’s US entity to his knowledge is “completely solvent. “All customers could be made whole tomorrow. It was a separate business,” he said.
Bankman-Fried said he felt “incredibly sorry” and “so bad” for letting down Bahamians who believed in his crypto exchange.
He continued: “I’m incredibly sorry. I feel so bad about what happened and all of the support and trust placed in us. I didn’t live up to that. I am going to do everything I can to try and make it right but that doesn’t change what happened.”
FTX Digital Markets was placed into provisional liquidation by the Supreme Court of The Bahamas on November 10.
The Supreme Court appointed Brian Simms KC, of Lennox Paton, Kevin Cambridge, of PwC Bahamas, and Peter Greaves, of PwC Hong Kong, as the Joint Provisional Liquidators. FTX Trading Ltd. FTX Trading Ltd filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware back on November 11.
According to court documents, the cryptocurrency exchange owes creditors $3.1 billion. The Securities Commission has taken action to freeze the assets of FTX Digital Markets and related parties, in the wake of the company’s collapse.
