Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly denies fleeing to Argentina, says he’s still in the Bahamas

Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO and Founder of FTX, walks near the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., September 15, 2022.

The disgraced ex-CEO of the now-bankrupt FTX had been rumored to have fled to South America.

The one-time billionaire was on his way to Argentina. The account said that it was Bankman- Fried on the flight. Argentina has a treaty with the U.S. that allows it to extradite people who are wanted in the US.

Bankman-Fried did not reply to the question if he had flown to Argentina. He said that he lived in the Bahamas full time last year.

As authorities close in on Bankman-Fried and his failed crypto empire, there is speculation over SBF's location.

FTX, the digital asset exchange founded by Bankman- Fried, filed for Chapter 11 protection in the US on Friday. According to the Financial Times, the global exchange had almost a billion dollars in easily sellable assets against its $9 billion of debts.

This week, FTX fell from grace very quickly.

The exchange was valued at $32 billion earlier this year, and Bankman-Fried was seen as the white knight of the digital asset industry. The ex-CEO is being investigated by the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, according to reports. The exchange seems to have been the target of a hack.

David Sucherman was a contributor to the report.