Sam Bankman-Fried: Equal Donations to Democrats and Republicans? The Dark Money Controversy
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, says he donated equally to both Democratic and Republican politicians before his cryptocurrency platform filed for bankruptcy. But the full story is more complex than simple equal contributions.
While Sam Bankman-Fried’s donations to Democrats are well documented, the situation with Republican funding is shrouded in secrecy. He revealed the information in an interview released Tuesday, the former FTX CEO said he similarly funded Republican causes, but through different channels.
Bankman-Fried, known for being a Democratic megadonor during the 2025 midterm elections, said his donations to Republicans were “dark-money” contributions, using a term that refers to funds whose sources are not publicly disclosed. This allows donors to avoid scrutiny and potential backlash for supporting certain candidates or parties. SBF, the former CEO of the now-bankrupt exchanges FTX and FTX.US, gave “dark money” to the democratic party, which adds another layer of complexity to his overall political giving.
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, says he\'s the Republicans\' third-biggest donor – but used dark money to avoid criticism. This claim, combined with the documented donations to Democrats, has sparked considerable debate and scrutiny regarding the ethics and transparency of political funding in the crypto space.
Elon Musk stated on Twitter that the secret donations to raises serious questions about influence and accountability. Were these "dark money" contributions truly equivalent in value to the documented Democratic donations? What impact did this undisclosed funding have on policy decisions? These are the questions being asked as the bankruptcy proceedings of FTX continue to unfold.
The use of "dark money" by SBF, the former CEO of FTX, raises concerns about transparency and the potential for undue influence in the political process. While he claims equal giving, the lack of disclosure for Republican donations makes it difficult to verify the truthfulness of his statements and understand the full scope of his political involvement.