Stanford law student withdraws $80k from FTX

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Stanford law student withdraws $80k from FTX

The student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity so as not to get in trouble with campus police, withdrew the roughly $80,000 he had on the exchange just days before it collapsed in November, unlike the millions of other FTX customers who remain unable to access their accounts. But Bankman-Fried slammed the role he's accused of playing in implementing a massive fraud in connection with FTX and its related companies. It remains to be seen what consequences Bankman Fried, who pleaded not guilty, might face. He has so far been detained at home, instead of jail, which is an exception to how most federal defendants are treated. The quiet, traffic-light Stanford neighborhood is a better option than Fox Hill, a notoriously rough prison in the Bahamas where Bankman-Fried was briefly held before being extradited.

There are security threats, but there are still security threats. A letter from Bankman-Fried's lawyers to the district court presiding over Bankman-Fried's case said that a car had driven into the security barricades set up outside his parents' home. Before taking a recent leave from teaching, Joseph Bankman taught tax law and mental health law at the university, and Bankman-Fried's mother, Barbara Fried, who recently retired, taught contract law. Bankman and Fried are popular among law students, calling both of them exceptional and kind professors, and disappointed that they're not in the classroom.

Bankman-Fried, who has his shades drawn and 'no trespassing' signs in front of his childhood home, has found numerous ways to stay connected with the outside world. Prosecutors say he has contacted former FTX officials who may be involved in his trial. The US government has tried to restrict his access to virtual private networks and certain apps where messages disappear, but a final ruling has not been made. The judge presiding over his case asked in a hearing last month, highlighting that despite any limitations the court might place on Bankman-Fried's use of technology, he remains in a home with his parents who also have a plethora of ways to be wired.

Some students are too busy at midterms to pay attention to Bankman-Fried's presence, while others have no interest in him. A freshman who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she wants to work in politics and doesn't want to be associated with Bankman-Fried declined her friends' invitation to go by his house. There's a weird voyeurism about it, she said, adding that others' fascination with him might be linked to their own aspirations.