{"id":535160,"date":"2023-01-04T21:20:48","date_gmt":"2023-01-04T18:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/semafor-to-return-sam-bankman-fried-investment-report\/"},"modified":"2023-01-04T21:20:48","modified_gmt":"2023-01-04T18:20:48","slug":"semafor-to-return-sam-bankman-fried-investment-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/semafor-to-return-sam-bankman-fried-investment-report\/","title":{"rendered":"#Semafor to return Sam Bankman-Fried investment: report"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3581311403b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3581311403b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/semafor-to-return-sam-bankman-fried-investment-report\/#%E2%80%9CSemafor_to_return_Sam_Bankman-Fried_investment_report%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Semafor to return Sam Bankman-Fried investment: report&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CSemafor_to_return_Sam_Bankman-Fried_investment_report%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Semafor to return Sam Bankman-Fried investment: report&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>Semafor, a digital <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> site launched last year, agreed to return the alleged dirty money it took from accused crypto conman Sam Bankman-Fried, according to a report.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe company intends to redeem the investment,\u201d said an anonymous source, who avoided using the word \u201creturn,\u201d but declined to specify the difference between redeeming or simply returning the investment, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/semafor-sam-bankman-fried-investment-redeem-return\/\">The Wrap<\/a> reported Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>The site founded by former Bloomberg <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Media<\/a> CEO Justin Smith and former New York Times media columnist Ben Smith did not disclose the amount of Bankman-Fried\u2019s investment in the company\u2019s $25 million seed round in June.<\/p>\n<p>Bankman-Fried, who pleaded not guilty at his arraignment\u00a0in Manhattan court Tuesday, awaits trial over the collapse of the FTX crypto-exchange, which he founded. The 30-year-old is accused of fraud and mismanagement of billions of dollars that creditors are scrambling to claw back after FTX filed for bankruptcy. He was released on a $250 million bond package on Dec. 22.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are actively working with the relevant legal and governmental bodies who are managing this situation and are following their guidance on the most <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ropriate next steps to ensure the most ethical and responsible outcome for Sam Bankman-Fried\u2019s creditors and the judicial process underway,\u201d a Semafor rep told The Wrap.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-ben-smith-semafor-founders.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"This combination of images shows Justin B. Smith, left, and Ben Smith, co-founders of the news website &quot;Semafor.&quot; (Noah Willman\/Semafor via AP, left, and Kate Bubacz\/BuzzFeed News via AP)\" class=\"wp-image-25233492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-ben-smith-semafor-founders.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-ben-smith-semafor-founders.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/justin-ben-smith-semafor-founders.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Justin Smith (left) and Ben Smith (right) founded Semafor, which took an investment from Sam Bankman-Fried prior to launching in October.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A source told The Wrap that giving bank Bankman-Fried\u2019s investment posed difficulties, because the money \u201ccould not ethically be returned to Bankman-Fried himself.\u201d For that reason, the insider said, Semafor has been \u201cwaiting for guidance from government prosecutors about the best way to respond.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A rep for Semafor did not return The Post\u2019s requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Bankman-Fried both personally and through a family foundation gave millions of dollars to media companies \u2014 including Semafor, ProPublica, Vox Media, The Intercept, and The Law and Justice Project \u2014 before FTX declared bankruptcy in November.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/sam-bankman-fried-court-01032023-1.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Sam Bankman-Fried leaves federal court in Manhattan on Jan. 3, 2023.\" class=\"wp-image-25234814\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/sam-bankman-fried-court-01032023-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/sam-bankman-fried-court-01032023-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/sam-bankman-fried-court-01032023-1.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Sam Bankman-Fried leaves federal court in Manhattan on Jan. 3, 2023.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">REUTERS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>ProPublica, the investigative non-profit media firm, said in late December that it would return a $5 million donation, adding that it \u201cwill return the initial $1.6 million it received in what was supposed to be a three-year, $5 million grant, and that it has terminated its relationship with the Building a Stronger Future foundation following allegations of fraudulent activities against Sam Bankman-Fried.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Before Bankman-Fried\u2019s arrest, Semafor had been less clear about whether it would return the accused crypto fraudster\u2019s money, telling blogger Mickey Klaus that it is \u201cmonitoring the evolving situation closely.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In his blog post entitled \u201cSend it Back Ben,\u201d Klaus\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/kaus.substack.com\/p\/send-it-back-ben\">wrote<\/a>: \u201cThat\u2019s nice, but actually, I wasn\u2019t worried that Semafor wouldn\u2019t be able to hold on to its Bankman bucks. The question more is: Will Semafor give the money back?\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"525\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/semafor-498.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Semafor's homepage\" class=\"wp-image-25233520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/semafor-498.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/semafor-498.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/semafor-498.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Semafor is reportedly returning its investment from Sam Bankman-Fried.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Semafor<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He continued that \u201clegally\u201d the issue is murky, but that \u201cmorally,\u201d it seems \u201copen and shut.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe Bankman-Fried wasn\u2019t a felon\u2026..but the stench of sleaze and scamming is unmistakable and familiar,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Justin Smith <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Justin_B_Smith\/status\/1598712692025528323?s=20&amp;t=X9EgOEah7gf2FuCtG22lvQ\">tweeted <\/a>out a company memo on Dec. 2, laying out some details of Bankman-Fried\u2019s investment. He said the crypto fraudster invested in Semafor\u2019s pre-seed round in May 2022, which raised a total of $25 million to launch the company in October. <\/p>\n<p>Smith said that Bankman-Fried\u2019s investment had not yet converted to equity, and that he was awaiting \u201cguidance\u201d from the government agencies investigating the crypto founder before deciding what to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"\/>\n<p>\u201cWhile we continue to monitor the legal situation closely, the best thing we can do is to continue to report on this story with the relentless tenacity that audiences are coming to expect from us,\u201d Smith wrote.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Other investors in Semafor included former Atlantic magazine owner David Bradley, The Information CEO Jessica Lessin, investor John Thornton and Jorge Paolo Lemann,\u00a0co-founder of 3G Capital.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/01\/04\/semafor-to-return-sam-bankman-fried-investment-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Semafor to return Sam Bankman-Fried investment: report&#8221; Semafor, a digital news site launched last year, agreed to return the alleged dirty money it took from accused crypto conman Sam Bankman-Fried, according to a report. \u201cThe company intends to redeem the investment,\u201d said an anonymous source, who avoided using the word \u201creturn,\u201d but declined to specify&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":535161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/01\/sam-bankman-fried-semafor-ftx-comp.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[89897,137985,80918,76127,72323,73711],"class_list":["post-535160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-sam-bankman-fried","tag-1-4-23","tag-ben-smith","tag-cryptocurrency","tag-digital-media","tag-investments"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=535160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/535161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=535160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=535160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=535160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}