At least he still has a sense of humor.
Hustle Mindset
The LinkedIn grind never stops — not even for prison.
Ryan Salame, the former co-CEO of the now-defunct crypto exchange FTX, was sentenced in May to seven and a half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to criminal charges related to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and unlawful campaign donations.
In addition to serving time in prison, Salame was ordered to forfeit $1.5 billion.
Salame was a Republican megadonor in 2022, handing out millions in campaign funds that the Department of Justice argued were straw donations designed to “increase FTX’s profile” and “curry favor with candidates that could help pass legislation favorable to FTX.”
But it was a sharp, hard fall from grace for the former crypto titan, whose prison term starts today at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Cumberland, Maryland. And last night, before checking in for his new role, the disgraced crypto executive decided to take to LinkedIn to issue a… career update.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position,” Salame wrote in a LinkedIn post, “as Inmate at FCI Cumberland!”
Former Free Man
At FTX, Salame served as the right hand of the company’s now-notorious founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. He was the first FTX executive to receive prison time for his role in the crypto firm’s spectacular 2022 meltdown. Bankman-Fried, who pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges related to fraud and conspiracy, lost his court battle and was sentenced to 25 years in federal jail.
Caroline Ellison, another inner-circle FTX associate and former CEO of the closely-tied hedge fund Alameda Research, was sentenced just last week to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and fraud charges — a sentence likely lightened by her decision to cooperate with prosecutors.
According to The New York Times, Salame married the crypto lobbyist and attempted politician Michelle Bond last month in Nevada. As Coindesk reported earlier this year, Bond was indicted in April for accepting illegal campaign dollars — from Salame — during her failed 2022 congressional run.
And by the way, the former executive isn’t just trolling-slash-probably-coping about his prison sentence on LinkedIn; over on X-formerly-Twitter, his profile picture is a photo of him wearing what appears to be a cheap prisoner costume.
“7.5 year prison sentence,” reads the disgraced crypto CEO’s X bio, modeling the professional bios often seen across the social media platform. “Former: Free man, US Republican Mega-donor, CEO of FTX Digital Markets.”
“Not a lawyer,” he added.
More on FTX: Sam Bankman-Fried Turns on Celebrities Who Promoted FTX to Gullible Fans
