FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s two bond guarantors unsealed, both with ties to Stanford
The names of two of FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s guarantors were revealed on Wednesday, after an unsealing motion from media companies including CNBC was granted by a Manhattan federal judge.
Bankman-Fried was released on $250 million recognizance bond in December after he was indicted on criminal fraud charges. In all, there were four guarantors, including his parents, to ensure Bankman-Fried’s cooperation with pretrial detention requirements.
The other two guarantors are now known to be Larry Kramer, who is president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and dean emeritus at Stanford Law School, and Andreas Paepcke, a senior research scientist at Stanford University. Their names had been sealed, but several media outlets moved to have their identities made public.
Former FTX chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried (C) arrives to enter a plea before US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in the Manhattan federal court, New York, January 3, 2023.
Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images
Both of Bankman-Fried’s parents, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried, are on the faculty of Stanford. They live near the university.
“Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried have been close friends of my wife and I since the mid-1990s,” Kramer told CNBC’s Eamon Javers. “During the past two years, while my family faced a harrowing battle with cancer, they have been the truest of friends — bringing food, providing moral support, and frequently stepping in at moment’s notice to help. In turn, we have sought to support them as they face their own crisis.”
Kramer said he was acting “in my personal capacity” and has “no business dealings or interest in this matter other than to help our loyal and steadfast friends.”
Kramer signed a $500,000 unsecured bond, while Paepcke signed the same type of bond for $250,000.
Paepcke, who graduated from Harvard University and has a Ph.D. in computer science from a school in Germany, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The only information provided in the unsealed documentation was the names of the guarantors and the dates they signed the documents. Their names match the identities of two Stanford University-associated individuals.
Bankman-Fried’s initial release was secured by both his family home and by the two bonds. The former crypto billionaire will return to New York later this week for a hearing before a Manhattan federal judge over his bail conditions, and he’s expected to face federal trial in October. He pleaded not guilty in January.
— CNBC’s Eamon Javers contributed to this report.
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