New York Magazine’s latest report lifts the lid on Sam Bankman-Fried’s life at Lompoc federal prison: the 34-year-old takes Adderall daily for clinical depression and ADHD, writes a serialized memoir called “Manfred,” and refuses to join the white gang “The Woods,” preferring chess and cards with Black and other inmates. But the real reason for his depression may not be the 25-year sentence—it’s the lost fortune from an early investment. Alameda Research bought a 5% stake in Cursor’s parent company Anysphere for $200,000 in 2022. During FTX’s bankruptcy liquidation in 2023, the team sold it at the same price. Now SpaceX is acquiring Anysphere in a $60 billion all-stock deal, valuing that stake at roughly $3 billion—a 15,000x difference.
$200K In, $3B Out
In April 2022, Alameda invested $200,000 in Anysphere, then valued at $4 million, for about 5% equity. Cursor is an AI coding tool. After FTX collapsed, bankruptcy liquidators unloaded the stake at cost. On June 16, 2026, SpaceX signed a $60 billion all-stock merger to acquire Anysphere, closing in Q3. At that valuation, SBF’s former 5% is worth $3 billion. SBF has long argued the liquidation team sold too fast and too cheap—this time he appears to be right.
“I’ll Launch My Own Token After Prison”
According to the magazine, inmate David Bunevacz asked SBF about his post-prison plans. SBF said he needs $50 million to $100 million seed capital to build a real business, then added: “I’ll launch my own new token after I get out, and everyone will flock to it.” Bunevacz, serving 17.5 years for cannabis startup fraud, shrugged: “He might be joking, people probably won’t flock, but who knows.” A man who landed in prison for 25 years over tokens and exchange fraud still dreams of issuing another token upon release.
Trump Rejects Pardon Twice
On June 8, 2026, SBF formally filed a presidential pardon petition with the DOJ’s Office of the Pardon Attorney. It’s a “post-sentence pardon” that doesn’t shorten his term but could restore some civil rights. On Polymarket, the probability of a pardon by 2027 doubled from lows to about 14%, partly because Binance founder Changpeng Zhao was pardoned, fueling speculation that SBF might be next. But Trump has twice publicly denied a pardon for SBF in 2026, citing the sheer scale of FTX’s $11 billion fraud. SBF takes antidepressants daily, watches a $3 billion stake sold for pocket change, plans a token launch, and pins his hopes on a man who has already said no twice.