If Sam Bankman-Fried Left Prison Today, He'd Be Poor Forever, Lawyer Says

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Supreme Court lawyer says the $11 billion penalty attached to his sentence would leave the FTX founder broke for the rest of his life, whenever he walks out of prison.

Jeffrey Fisher, who filed the petition on September 10, argues the sum breaks the Eighth Amendment ban on excessive fines. He laid out the case on CNN host Michael Smerconish’s radio program.

Why the Fine Hurts Sam Bankman-Fried More Than the Verdict The $11 billion order is not a clawback of money the former billionaire holds. It is a money judgment for a sum he does not have. Michael Smerconish discusses my case and Supreme Court appeal.

Judge Kaplan allowed the government to (falsely) claim over $10 billion of depositor losses — and prohibited me from responding. https://t.co/6CVRAU3Qim— SBF (@SBF_FTX) September 14, 2026 Fisher argues no realistic future earnings could ever clear it.