Sam Bankman-Fried reveals cell-block mate Diddy has 'always been kind' to him in NYC lockup

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried revealed that he has become friends with Sean 'Diddy' Combs in the high-security Brooklyn jail unit and that the rapper has ‘always been kind' to him.

During an interview with Tucker Carlson from Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center through a video call on Thursday, March 6, Bankman-Fried said, "I’ve only seen one piece of him, which is Diddy in prison. You know, he’s been kind to people in the unit."

Sam Bankman-Fried says Diddy has 'always been kind' to him in NYC lockup

Sam Bankman-Fried said during the video call interview, "What we see are just the people that are around us on the inside, rather than who we are on the outside."

He added, "He’s been kind to me. It’s a position no one wants to be in. Obviously he doesn’t, I don’t. It’s kind of a soul-crushing place."

Interestingly, both Bankman-Fried and Diddy are housed in a 15-man dorm at the federal lock-up, isolated from the general jail population due to their high-profile cases, according to the New York Post.

Moreover, the isolated unit also has accused UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione.

Bankman-Fried added during the video call, "I’ve made some friends. It’s a weird environment."

He revealed that what surprised him the most was his experience with the less-famous inmates housed in the unit whom he described as "former armed robbers who don’t speak English and probably didn’t graduate middle school."

He said, "A surprising number of them are fairly good at chess. I’m not saying they’re grandmasters. I lose games to them all the time. I was not expecting that."

He added, "Some of them I think are thinking, ‘Wow this is sort of a big opportunity to meet people they wouldn’t otherwise get to meet … boy is that not how I think about prison. “Laughing’s all you can do sometimes, there’s no better alternative," he stated.

Bankman-Fried, a former crypto executive, is serving a 25-year sentence after being convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy.

Former inmate revealed Diddy would not get 'special treatment' in jail

In October 2024, Diddy was incarcerated at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center since his September 16, 2024, arrest on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

Following his arrest, former inmate Timothy Smith shed light on the living situation of Diddy and if he would get any "special treatment."

Smith told Daily Mail in October last year, "His money and wealth won't get him any benefits. In the federal system, it's so limited, you don't get extra privileges because you're rich."

He added, "You're allowed a few basics like a tracksuit and sneakers from the commissary, but that's about it. They do raids and if you try to stockpile, they take everything."

Smith also mentioned, "Sometimes you run out of minutes within the first week, and then you're just left talking to yourself."

He emphasized that Diddy was in no position to negotiate any special privileges during his imprisonment and even if he was kept with the general population of the detention center, the condition would still be bad.

Smith said, "Even if he was in general population, there's not one cell, one TV. There'll be a hundred people in that pod, and there are generally only a few TVs, segregated by race."