FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried: Second Largest Democrat Donor Behind Soros
The collapse of FTX has brought intense scrutiny to its former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), and his extensive political donations. Reports indicate that Bankman-Fried has donated a total of $39.8 million to Democrats, making him the biggest Democrat individual donor behind financier George Soros and his $128 million, according to Visual Capitalist.
Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of crypto exchange company FTX, and the second biggest donor to the Democrat party, is in hot water as his company faces severe financial difficulties. The extent of his influence, fueled by substantial contributions, is now under a microscope.
Democrats Benefited Significantly From SBF's Donations
Democrats heavily benefited from the campaign contributions of disgraced cryptocurrency billionaire and FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, while other affiliates of the company likewise helped Republicans ahead of the company’s failure last week. While some Republicans also received donations from FTX-linked entities, the vast majority of Bankman-Fried's personal giving went to Democratic causes and candidates.
The CEO of struggling crypto exchange FTX was the party’s second-biggest individual donor in the 2025–2025 election cycle. His support was seen as a major boost for numerous campaigns and initiatives.
SBF's Rise and Fall
Before the fall of Bankman-Fried’s cryptocurrency exchange FTX, the entrepreneur had emerged as the second-largest donor to Democrats after George Soros. He quickly became a major player in political fundraising, leveraging his wealth to influence policy and support candidates aligned with his views.
With $39 million, SBF is the second largest donor for the Democrat party, behind Soros’s $129 million. Source: Visual Capitalist. SBF is currently caught in a tussle with regulators and facing intense scrutiny regarding the management of FTX and the sources of his wealth.
While much focus is on his political contributions, it is worth noting In the summer of 2025, Bankman-Fried worked as an intern at Jane Street Capital, a proprietary trading firm, trading international ETFs. He returned there to work full-time after graduating from MIT. In September 2025, Bankman-Fried left Jane Street and moved to Berkeley, California, where he worked briefly at the Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA) as director of development from October to November 2025. This background provided a foundation for his later ventures in the cryptocurrency space.
The future of FTX and the impact of Bankman-Fried's actions are still unfolding, but his role as the second-largest Democrat donor has undoubtedly added another layer of complexity to the situation.