In a surprising return to social media, Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced former CEO of FTX, broke his two-year silence on X (formerly Twitter) with a series of 10 posts late Monday night. His sudden reappearance comes nearly a year after being sentenced to 25 years in prison for orchestrating an $8 billion fraud scheme involving his cryptocurrency exchange.
What raised eyebrows wasn’t just his return but the content of his posts—leadership advice on firing employees and vocal support for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is currently leading aggressive efforts to shrink the federal workforce.
Bankman-Fried’s Leadership Advice on Firing Employees
Several of Bankman-Fried’s posts focused on the sensitive topic of letting employees go, offering what he framed as compassionate leadership advice:
“I’d tell this to everyone we let go: that it was as much our fault for not having the right role for them, or the right person to manage them, or the right work environment for them.”
The post sparked immediate backlash, given Bankman-Fried’s own history of overseeing the collapse of FTX and allegedly mismanaging billions in customer funds. Critics on X pointed out the irony of someone convicted of financial fraud offering management tips from behind bars.
Support for Musk’s DOGE Firings
Even more controversial were Bankman-Fried’s comments supporting Musk’s DOGE initiative, which has been making headlines for its efforts to cut tens of thousands of federal jobs. One post read:
“There’s no point in keeping them around, doing nothing.”
This appeared to endorse Musk’s directive for federal workers to submit lists of their accomplishments—or risk being considered as having “resigned.”
Bankman-Fried’s sudden alignment with Musk’s hardline stance on workforce cuts raised speculation about whether he actually authored the posts or if someone else had access to his account.
His legal team has not commented on the situation, and Bankman-Fried is currently serving his sentence at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
DOGE’s Aggressive Layoffs Face Resistance
While Musk’s DOGE initiative has drawn praise from fiscal conservatives for targeting government inefficiency, the policy has faced growing resistance:
- At least eight federal agencies, including the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Justice (DOJ), instructed their employees not to respond to the controversial achievement emails.
- Legal experts argue that Musk’s demand could violate federal labor laws and protections for government employees.
- Multiple lawsuits are already challenging the constitutionality of Musk’s role in enforcing DOGE’s cost-cutting measures.
Musk defended his plan in a post on X, writing:
“Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”
Is Bankman-Fried Actually Behind the Posts?
Given his imprisonment, many are questioning whether Bankman-Fried himself authored the posts. Key concerns include:
- Access to X: Inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center typically don’t have access to social media.
- Account Hacking: There is speculation that his account could have been hacked, though no official evidence has surfaced yet.
- Authorized Communication: It’s possible that someone close to him, like a legal representative or family member, could be posting on his behalf.
As of now, Bankman-Fried’s legal team has not issued a statement confirming or denying his involvement in the posts.
Public Backlash and Political Implications
Both Musk and Bankman-Fried’s remarks have intensified the public debate over government downsizing:
- Federal employee unions have condemned Musk’s tactics as “reckless” and “inhumane” for pressuring workers to justify their roles under threat of termination.
- Critics of Bankman-Fried have labeled his comments as “tone-deaf” considering his conviction for fraud, which devastated thousands of retail investors.
- President Trump has praised Musk’s efforts, calling his directive “ingenious” and necessary for exposing government inefficiency.
