The on-line group together with some cryptocurrency figures has condemned the latest so-called “sympathy” articles from The New York Times — written about FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.
Throughout the article published on Dec. 26 titled In the Bahamas, a Lingering Sympathy for Sam Bankman-Fried, The New York Times journalist Rob Copeland interviewed native Bahamians who appeared to have principally constructive issues to say concerning the cryptocurrency alternate founder.
One resident opined he had a “good heart” with one other native saying they “feel bad for him.” A resident interviewed for the article even stated it “doesn’t make any sense” that Bankman-Fried’s alleged crimes landed him in jail.
The article means that the glowing critiques of Bankman-Fried by locals stem from his hundreds of thousands of {dollars} value of donations to native charities, church buildings and authorities entities together with the police. The FTX founder’s plans to construct a lodge and FTX head workplace have been thought of one other constructive by locals.
Cryptonator, a self-described “crypto-degen” stated Bankman-Fried “did it like Pablo Escobar” with regard to his donations to native charities and the federal government. Escobar, a infamous Columbian narcoterrorist and drug lord spent hundreds of thousands of {dollars} on constructing infrastructure and donating to charity in an try to garner favor with locals.
SBF did it like Pablo Escobar:
‘[…] donated hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to a dizzying assortment of Bahamian charities, church buildings and authorities entities — together with the native police.’
And in keeping with this NYT article, it labored:
‘I feel he had a superb coronary heart’https://t.co/4bQe7EZdsV pic.twitter.com/lRqHh3ILOh
— CR1337 (@cryptonator1337) December 27, 2022
Only one particular person interviewed for the article appeared destructive abou the billions of dollars of alleged fraud by the FTX founder which included stealing buyer funds, saying it gave them a “negative outlook on crypto.”
“Why would you publish this” one Twitter user requested, “this is embarrassing,” one other wrote.
“Gotta respect the NYT for doubling down,” one consumer tweeted in reference to a Nov. 14 New York Times article that was additionally slammed by the crypto community then as a “puff piece.”
Perhaps one of the vital egregious components of the article was a piece the place it calls Bankman-Fried’s years-long fraud “troublesome” however “hardly comparable to the gang violence” on the island of New Providence.
Olayemi Olurin, a local Bahamian and New York public defender, posted a video to Twitter blasting the article saying:
“The lengths they will go to try to prop up this white collar criminal and they immediately start trying to criminalize a black nation [with gang violence]. The Bahamas is not some gang violence-ridden country get the fuck out of here.”
“Bahamians do not give a fuck about that man,” she added.
Related From the NY Times to WaPo, the media is fawning over Bankman-Fried
Others within the crypto group got here ahead to criticize the piece.
Crypto e-newsletter founder, Alex Valaitis, stated he “can’t believe your joke of an organization continues to try to publish puff pieces on the biggest fraud since Madoff.” Bernie Madoff was discovered responsible of working the biggest Ponzi scheme up to now to the tune of almost $65 billion.
Can’t imagine your joke of a company continues to attempt to publish puff items on the largest fraud since Madoff…
Actually, I can imagine it.
I’ll get pleasure from watching your continued decline.
— Alex Valaitis (@alex_valaitis) December 26, 2022
Podcast host, Scott Melker, stated the article was “astoundingly absurd and inappropriate” and likened The New York Times to United States tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer.
Astoundingly absurd and inappropriate.
The New York Times has change into the National Inquirer. https://t.co/YNwt0XhfeE
— The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker) December 27, 2022
Bankman-Fried was arrested on Dec. 12 on a number of prices referring to wire fraud and cash laundering. He was extradited to the U.S. on Dec. 21 and is at the moment out on bail after his dad and mom posted their Palo Alto home as collateral for the $250 million bond.