How can you build a STX SAM Shaft using old heads and new shafts. What are the key components needed for this lacrosse stick customization. Why is the STX SAM Shaft popular among players. How does combining old heads with new shafts affect performance.
The Evolution of STX Lacrosse Equipment
STX has been at the forefront of lacrosse equipment innovation for years, consistently pushing the boundaries of design and performance. Their latest offerings, including the Hammer U head and the SAM shaft, demonstrate the company’s commitment to providing players with cutting-edge gear that enhances their game.
The STX SAM shaft, named after lacrosse superstar Sam Bradman, has quickly become a favorite among players at all levels. Its unique combination of strength, lightweight design, and superior grip has made it a go-to choice for those looking to upgrade their stick.
Understanding the STX SAM Shaft
The STX SAM shaft is crafted from high-grade materials, typically featuring a composite construction that balances durability with weight reduction. Its design incorporates advanced technologies to enhance player performance, including:
- Textured grip zones for improved control
- Optimized flex points for enhanced shot power
- Reinforced construction to withstand the rigors of competitive play
These features combine to create a shaft that feels like an extension of the player’s arms, allowing for precise stick handling and powerful shots.
Why Choose the STX SAM Shaft?
Players opt for the STX SAM shaft for several reasons:
- Exceptional balance and feel
- Improved shot velocity and accuracy
- Enhanced durability compared to traditional aluminum shafts
- Customizable options to suit individual preferences
The shaft’s popularity stems from its ability to cater to a wide range of playing styles, from aggressive attackmen to finesse midfielders.
Combining Old Heads with the STX SAM Shaft
One of the most intriguing aspects of lacrosse stick customization is the ability to mix and match components. Pairing older head designs with the modern STX SAM shaft can create a unique stick that combines nostalgia with cutting-edge performance.
Can old heads be effectively used with new shafts? Absolutely. Many players find that certain vintage head designs offer characteristics that complement their playing style. By attaching these heads to a SAM shaft, players can enjoy the best of both worlds – classic pocket feel with modern shaft technology.
Benefits of Using Old Heads
There are several advantages to incorporating older head designs into your stick setup:
- Familiar pocket shape and ball retention
- Potentially wider face shape for easier ground ball pickup
- Nostalgic appeal and unique aesthetics
- Often more affordable than the latest head models
By carefully selecting an old head that complements the STX SAM shaft’s characteristics, players can create a truly personalized lacrosse stick that suits their individual needs.
Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your STX SAM Shaft Setup
Creating your custom STX SAM shaft setup with an old head is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to assemble your unique lacrosse stick:
- Choose your preferred STX SAM shaft length and style
- Select an old head that matches your playing position and style
- Ensure compatibility between the head and shaft (most modern shafts will fit older heads)
- Remove any existing screws or fasteners from the old head
- Align the head with the SAM shaft, ensuring a snug fit
- Secure the head to the shaft using appropriate screws (typically included with the shaft)
- String the head according to your preferences or have it professionally strung
- Test the balance and feel of your new setup
Remember to check local regulations regarding stick specifications, as some leagues may have restrictions on certain head designs or overall stick dimensions.
Optimizing Performance with Your Custom Setup
Once you’ve assembled your STX SAM shaft with an old head, it’s crucial to fine-tune the setup for optimal performance. Consider the following adjustments:
- Experiment with different stringing patterns to achieve your desired pocket depth and hold
- Add tape or grip enhancers to customize the feel of the SAM shaft
- Test various shooting and passing techniques to familiarize yourself with the stick’s characteristics
- Make small adjustments to the head’s angle if allowed by regulations
How does the combination of an old head and new shaft affect shooting accuracy? Many players report improved accuracy due to the familiar pocket feel of the old head coupled with the enhanced control provided by the SAM shaft’s design.
Maintaining Your Custom STX SAM Shaft Setup
To ensure longevity and consistent performance from your custom lacrosse stick, proper maintenance is essential. Follow these tips to keep your STX SAM shaft and old head in top condition:
- Regularly inspect the connection between the head and shaft for any looseness
- Clean the shaft and head after each use to remove dirt and sweat
- Store your stick in a cool, dry place to prevent warping or damage
- Replace worn strings or shooters to maintain optimal pocket performance
- Apply a protective coating to the SAM shaft if desired for additional durability
By following these maintenance practices, you can extend the life of your custom setup and ensure it performs at its best game after game.
Legal Considerations and Regulations
Before using your custom STX SAM shaft setup in competitive play, it’s crucial to understand the rules and regulations governing lacrosse equipment. Different leagues and levels of play may have specific requirements regarding stick dimensions, head designs, and overall construction.
Are there any restrictions on using old heads in official games? This can vary depending on the league and level of play. Some organizations may have limitations on certain head designs or require that all equipment meet current specifications. It’s essential to check with your league or governing body to ensure your custom setup complies with all relevant rules.
Common Regulations to Consider
- Overall stick length requirements
- Head dimensions and shape restrictions
- Pocket depth limitations
- Shaft material and construction guidelines
Always consult official rulebooks and equipment guidelines before using your custom STX SAM shaft setup in competitive play. This will help you avoid any potential penalties or equipment violations during games.
The Future of Lacrosse Stick Customization
As lacrosse equipment technology continues to evolve, the possibilities for stick customization are expanding. The trend of combining classic designs with modern materials, as seen in the pairing of old heads with the STX SAM shaft, is likely to continue and grow.
What innovations can we expect in lacrosse stick design? Some potential developments include:
- Advanced composite materials for even lighter and stronger shafts
- Smart technology integration for performance tracking
- 3D-printed heads customized to individual player specifications
- Eco-friendly materials and manufacturing processes
As these innovations emerge, players will have even more options to create truly personalized lacrosse sticks that cater to their unique playing styles and preferences.
The Role of Player Feedback in Equipment Development
Companies like STX rely heavily on player feedback to drive their product development. The success of the SAM shaft, for example, is largely due to its ability to meet the needs and preferences of players at various levels of the game.
How can players contribute to the evolution of lacrosse equipment? There are several ways:
- Participating in product testing programs
- Providing feedback through social media and online forums
- Attending lacrosse expos and equipment demonstrations
- Communicating with local retailers and equipment representatives
By actively engaging with manufacturers and sharing their experiences, players can help shape the future of lacrosse equipment design and innovation.
Comparing the STX SAM Shaft to Other Popular Options
While the STX SAM shaft has gained significant popularity, it’s important to consider how it stacks up against other options in the market. This comparison can help players make informed decisions when selecting the best shaft for their needs.
STX SAM Shaft vs. Traditional Aluminum Shafts
The STX SAM shaft offers several advantages over traditional aluminum shafts:
- Lighter weight for improved maneuverability
- Enhanced durability and resistance to bending
- Better vibration dampening for improved feel
- Customizable flex profiles for different playing styles
However, aluminum shafts still have their merits, including lower cost and a familiar feel for many players.
STX SAM Shaft vs. Other Composite Shafts
When compared to other composite shafts on the market, the STX SAM shaft distinguishes itself in several ways:
- Unique grip texture for improved control
- Optimized weight distribution for better balance
- Specific flex points designed for increased shot power
- Brand recognition and professional player endorsements
Ultimately, the choice between the SAM shaft and other composite options often comes down to personal preference and playing style.
Customizing Your STX SAM Shaft Beyond Head Selection
While pairing the STX SAM shaft with an old head is a popular customization option, there are many other ways to personalize your lacrosse stick setup. These additional modifications can further enhance your playing experience and express your individual style on the field.
Grip Customization
The grip of your lacrosse stick plays a crucial role in control and comfort. Consider these options for customizing your STX SAM shaft’s grip:
- Adding tennis racquet overgrip for enhanced tackiness
- Applying hockey tape for a traditional feel
- Using specialized lacrosse grip products for moisture control
- Creating a custom pattern with electrical tape for a unique look
Experiment with different grip materials and configurations to find the perfect feel for your playing style.
Visual Customization
Make your STX SAM shaft stand out on the field with these visual customization ideas:
- Applying custom decals or vinyl wraps
- Using spray paint or hydro dipping for unique color patterns
- Engraving personal designs or text (ensuring not to compromise shaft integrity)
- Adding colored end caps or butt ends
Remember to check league regulations regarding equipment aesthetics before making any permanent visual modifications.
Performance Enhancements
Fine-tune your STX SAM shaft’s performance with these additional customizations:
- Experimenting with different shaft lengths (within legal limits)
- Adding weight to the end cap for improved shot power
- Applying grip-enhancing products to specific zones on the shaft
- Testing various stringing patterns to complement the shaft’s characteristics
These performance-focused modifications can help you maximize the potential of your STX SAM shaft and old head combination.
The Impact of Stick Customization on Player Development
The process of customizing a lacrosse stick, such as building an STX SAM shaft setup with an old head, can have significant benefits for player development. This hands-on approach to equipment selection and modification encourages players to think critically about their gear and how it affects their performance on the field.
Understanding Equipment Dynamics
By experimenting with different head and shaft combinations, players gain valuable insights into how various equipment characteristics impact their game. This knowledge can lead to:
- Improved stick skills through a better understanding of pocket dynamics
- Enhanced shot accuracy by fine-tuning shaft flex and head angle
- More effective ground ball play through optimized head shape selection
- Increased confidence in equipment choices for different game situations
Fostering Creativity and Problem-Solving
The process of customizing a lacrosse stick encourages players to think creatively and solve problems. This mindset can translate to improved on-field performance in several ways:
- Developing adaptability by learning to work with different equipment setups
- Enhancing decision-making skills through equipment selection and modification
- Encouraging experimentation and innovation in playing techniques
- Building confidence in personal preferences and equipment choices
How does stick customization contribute to a player’s overall lacrosse IQ? By engaging in the customization process, players develop a deeper understanding of the game’s equipment, which can lead to more informed decisions on the field and a greater appreciation for the nuances of lacrosse strategy.
The Role of Custom Sticks in Team Dynamics
While individual stick customization, such as building an STX SAM shaft with an old head, is primarily focused on personal performance, it can also have interesting effects on team dynamics and strategy.
Specialization Within Team Roles
Custom stick setups allow players to fine-tune their equipment to their specific role on the team. This specialization can lead to:
- More effective execution of position-specific tasks
- Enhanced team strategy through optimized equipment choices
- Improved player confidence in assigned roles
- Greater diversity in playing styles within the team
Knowledge Sharing and Team Bonding
The process of customizing sticks can become a shared experience among teammates, fostering several positive outcomes:
- Exchange of ideas and techniques for equipment optimization
- Strengthened team relationships through shared interests
- Collaborative problem-solving for equipment-related challenges
- Increased overall team knowledge about lacrosse equipment
How does stick customization impact team chemistry? By engaging in equipment discussions and sharing customization experiences, players can develop stronger bonds and a shared sense of purpose, potentially leading to improved on-field communication and teamwork.
The Economic Impact of Stick Customization
The trend of customizing lacrosse sticks, exemplified by combining the STX SAM shaft with old heads, has interesting economic implications for both players and the lacrosse industry as a whole.
Cost Considerations for Players
Stick customization can affect a player’s equipment expenses in various ways:
- Potential cost savings by reusing old heads with new shafts
- Increased initial investment in high-quality, customizable components
- Reduced need for frequent complete stick replacements
- Possibility of reselling unique custom setups to other players
Gear Review: Hammer U Head by STX Lacrosse
[rwp-review id=”1″]
Company: STX Lacrosse / Product: Hammer U Head / Price: $99
STX has been on a mission this season, releasing some of the sport’s most impressive heads to date. While you would expect them to design heads fit for offensive power houses like Kyle Harrison and Sam Bradman, STX threw down with their newest defensive head. The Hammer U head is a monster. If you are a big bad defenseman looking to do some work this year, this head is ready to make you a one man wrecking crew. Check out STX’s product video and then read on to find out what makes this head so special.
Appearance… +7.5
STX pulled out all of the stops when designing the Hammer U head and they definitely didn’t slack off in the looks department. The Hammer U head looks mean. The 3 sidewall braces look like gills of a shark or some other kind of creature that you never want to cross.
The forward cant near the middle of the head creates an aggressive look and with 9 factory color options ranging from lime green to carolina blue it’s hard to find something you don’t like about the way this thing looks.
The only thing holding this thing back from a perfect score in the beauty pageant is it’s width. While I may be biased as a middie, a head this wide looks a little minor league to me dragging the heads score down slightly.
Fits a whole fist in the throat… This thing is wide.
Stringing… +10.0
A stick can never have too many holes on the sidewall. With 13 sidewall holes on the Hammer U head, STX shows yet again that they understand a player’s desire to have some flexibility when twisting up their pocket. In addition to the numerous sidewall options, the Hammer U head features 3 oversized top string holes near the top of the stick.
I love this feature on heads, especially when stringing traditional pockets, as it gives you the ability to put multiple pieces of crosslace/shooters through the holes without having to take up additional sidewall holes.
Oversized sidewall holes up top.The Hammer U makes it easy to fit multiple pieces of crosslace in the top holes.
I love to string heads. The Hammer U is a stringers dream, so feeling a little inspired I tried out a new pocket and couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.
Heat pocket fit perfectly.
Stiffness… +10.0
If you can break this head I bet STX would give you your money back. This thing is about as stiff as it gets. The head is thick and the 3 sidewall braces provide extra support for ground balls and stick checks. STX’s design team put this thing through a series of tests geared specifically for the types of blows and bends a defenders head will go through and what they came up with was one of the industries strongest heads. Unfortunately, with the increased strength comes an increase in weight, and while STX tried their best to reduce weight by hollowing out the sidewall braces and areas around the throat, this thing feels like a sledgehammer.
If weight were a category in this review this head would score in the negatives.
Gills looking mean.
Durability… +10.0
The Hammer U features STX’s C-Channel design which gives the head added flexibility for ground balls and checks while keeping the head stiff and rigid when you are laying the lumber. The utter thickness of this head means that it is reinforced to the max. If you are not concerned about weight and want a head that is ready to both lay and take a beating, this head will be yours to rock for many seasons to come.
The Hammer U features STX’s C Channel for extra strength.
Value… +5.0
The value category is always the hardest for me to grade. With lacrosse equipment technology reaching all time highs I totally understand that prices are going to start hiking upwards too. That said, for $99 this head is pretty expensive, STX’s second most expensive head in fact, especially for something that weighs as much as it does.
I think that STX has created a fantastic defensive head.
Maybe even the best in lacrosse right now. I doubt this thing will break, and the checks you can lay with the Hammer U will have offensive players hesitating to move within a sticks length of their defenders but again, I have a hard time giving gear high marks in the value category when their price tag turns me away from even checking them out.
Ready to lay the Hammer.
Overall: 8.4/10
Overall the Hammer U is battle ready and would be worth the investment if you are interested in a defensive head that is going to last you a number of seasons. With multiple factory color options and a wide variety in stringing possibilities, this head can be customized to your exact liking. Unique features like two screw holes, enlarged top string sidewall holes, and STX’s C-Channel design make this thing a stick worth a second look and while the price tag is a little high I think the pros outweigh the price for serious defensemen.
STX Taps New Line’s Sam Brown as Production Chief
Courtesy of STX
Veteran New Line executive Sam Brown has joined STX Entertainment as head of production for its motion picture group, replacing Cathy Schulman.
Brown worked on “Central Intelligence,” “San Andreas,” “Horrible Bosses,” the “Harold & Kumar” series and the upcoming “Fist Fight” with Ice Cube; “Going in Style,” starring Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin; and “The House” starring Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler.
STX’s top releases have been “The Gift” and “The Boy.” Its dramas “The Free State of Jones” and “The Secret in Their Eyes” have underperformed.
Schulman will be moving into a new corporate role within STX Entertainment, overseeing the launch of a significant new initiative with pending details forthcoming.
Adam Fogelson, chairman of the STX Entertainment Motion Picture Group, made the announcement. Brown will oversee production and development activities on STX’s upcoming slate of films.
He was most recently a senior VP of production for New Line and will report to Fogelson and Oren Aviv, president and chief content officer for the STX Entertainment Motion Picture Group.
“Sam has a long and exceptional track record identifying and managing the diverse kinds of hit, talent-driven films that are the core of the STX model,” said Fogelson and Aviv.
“He is one of the best and brightest in our business who is hugely admired and respected by the creative community.”
JavaScript is required to load the comments.
Most Popular
Matt Damon Told His Wife in Couples Therapy That He’d Take an Acting Break Unless ‘Nolan Called’ — Then He Received ‘Oppenheimer…
Christopher Nolan Says ‘No’ to Directing Another Superhero Movie, Criticizes Studios for Viewing Films as Plot and Not an ‘Audiovisual Experience…
‘Oppenheimer’ Is the ‘Best’ and ‘Most Important Film of This Century,’ Raves Paul Schrader: ‘This One Blows the Door Off the Hinges…
Christopher Nolan Says Quentin Tarantino’s Reason for Retiring Is ‘Very Purist’: ‘It’s the POV of a Cinephile Who Prizes Film History…
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
3’ Sets Disney+ Release DateCBS Meteorologist Elise Finch Dies at 51
Jason Aldean Already Had the Most Contemptible Country Song of the Decade. The Video Is Worse
Robert Downey Jr. Thought He Was a ‘Shoo-In’ for ‘The Holiday,’ Then Kate Winslet Roasted Him: ‘That’s the Worst British Accent I’ve Ever Heard…
Box Office: ‘Barbie’ Heads for $100 Million Breakout, ‘Oppenheimer’ Aims for Strong $50 Million
SAG-AFTRA Strike FAQ: How the Rules Apply to Influencers, Journalists, Cosplayers and More
3’ Sets Disney+ Release DateSign Up for Variety Newsletters
By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
// This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
More From Our Brands
Rolling Stone
DeSantis Goes on CNN to . . . Defend Trump
Robb Report
Floyd Mayweather Dropped $7 Million at a Gucci Store and Had Armed Guards Escort Him Out: Report
Sportico
MLB Takes Over D-backs Games as Diamond Pledges to Pay Remaining Teams
SPY
Bowflex’s SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells Are 43% Off for Prime Day — Their Lowest Price of 2023
TVLine
The Last of Us: We Pick Stars’ Brains About a Tommy/Marlene Tryst, the Video Game’s Alternate (Musical?!) Ending and More
60 Minute IPA – Delaware American Craft Brewery
It’s hard to be a continuation of a story until the story is actually written.
Inspired by the continuous hopping process, which was first discovered when brewing a 90-minute IPA, we created a 60-minute variation based on the same unique process. The new beer became a real hit: along with an unsurpassed taste, he showed his own personality.
For a vibrant and timeless taste, we continuously hop this IPA for 60 minutes. During this time, more than 60 servings of Northwestern hops with a thick rich aroma are added to the beer. The continuous hopping method is used to give the 60-minute IPA a sharp, citrusy, grassy hop flavor without being overly bitter. As a result, enthusiasts of their craft get an amazing session craft beer.
You’ll quickly see why this “sequel to the story” has become our top selling beer and why you’ll be drawn to it again and again.
We started experimenting with extreme versions of super-hopped IPAs back in the mid-90s. To create a pronounced bitterness that seemed completely out of place, we used recklessly large amounts of hops.
While watching a TV cooking show, Sam Calagione, founder and CEO of Dogfish, had a great idea. He tracked down one of those old-school football games that used a vibrating slot machine to feed a steady stream of hops into the beer. And voila! And so the continuous hopping process was born!
You know, traditionally brewers make two additions of hops – one big addition for flavor at the start of the boil and one for aroma at the end. But by converting the football machine into a continuous-feed hopper, and adding equal hops throughout the brew process, Sam was able to create an IPA that was incredibly hoppy, and it wasn’t very bitter.
Over the years, as more sophisticated second, third and fourth generation machines have been used for continuous hopping, the theory and execution of the process has not changed significantly.
Features |
|---|
Strength (ABV): Bitterness (IBU): |
| Issue: All year round |
| Date of first issue: 2003 |
| Style: Indian Pale Ale |
| Color Golden amber |
| Aroma Pronounced hoppy with hints of pine needles and citrus |
| Taste Hops with moderate bitterness and slight acidity in the aftertaste |
| Body and aftertaste Pleasant sourness and slightly lingering bitterness |
0Recommendations for filing |
|---|
| Beer glass Glass for IPA |
| Recommended cheeses Vintage Cheddar |
| Recommended dishes Spicy food, pesto, grilled salmon, soy-based dishes, pizza |
Window
Welcome to the site!
“Hell Week”: Sam Bankman-Freed’s Memoirs of a Caribbean Prison
The former head of FTX was not pleased with tiny towels and stale bread during his imprisonment, but the most unbearable torture was the lack of the Internet.
Forbes USA spent the day with the accused former billionaire now under house arrest in California. He can be seen again online arguing his case on the Substack platform or playing his favorite video game
For 31 days beginning Nov. 11, Sam Bankman-Fried, the former billionaire, disgraced CEO and founder of FTX, until recently the world’s second largest crypto exchange, lived alone in his golden cage, a 12,000-square-foot penthouse feet with six bedrooms and ocean views in Albany, an exclusive resort in the Bahamas. Since the paparazzi and reporters have set up a whole camp outside, Bankman-Fried hardly left the house and spent most of his time on the Internet. He chatted with journalists and lawyers on Twitter while playing Storybook Brawl, a fantasy card game. Bankman-Freed said the online game, which FTX acquired last March, helped him keep his sanity while doing other important tasks.
However, everything changed on Monday 12 December.
Related material
Just hours after Bankman-Fried gave his last official interview to Forbes, Bankman-Fried received an urgent phone call while he was finalizing his scheduled video statement to the US House Financial Services Committee. It was a call from his lawyer in New York, who relayed a message to the FBI that the Bahamas police were about to make an arrest of the former “rock star” of the crypto industry.
According to a source familiar with the day’s events, the FBI was given a choice: Bankman-Fried could wait for arrest or agree to be extradited to the US on “some sort of bail conditions.” If he chose the latter, the FBI promised to pick him up before the Bahamian police and put him aboard a private jet heading north that night.
A million thoughts went through Bankman-Freed’s mind, but first he needed to find out if this urgent warning was true.
He and his parents, Stanford law professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Freed, who were in the room with him at the time, made frantic calls to anyone in the Bahamas who could help or provide any information. They contacted Christina Rolli, executive director of the Bahamas Securities Commission, Wayne Munro, secretary of homeland security, and Jomo Campbell, minister of state for legal affairs and number two in the attorney general’s office.
According to a source who spoke to Bankman-Freed, everyone said they didn’t know anything. Bahamian officials said “they don’t know a damn thing about it. They think the whole story is dubious… and that they don’t think the US understands that they have no power here… If we were going to arrest you, we would have done it a month ago.”
Related material
However, the police soon knocked on Bankman-Freed’s door.
The arresting officers were friendly but uncompromising, and Bankman-Fried was given five minutes to collect medicine and other items before being escorted to the police station in handcuffs. Most of his belongings, including the ubiquitous FTX T-shirts, stayed at home. Only later did he learn about the degree of secrecy of the plan for his arrest. The only two people in the country other than the arresting officers who knew about the plan were Attorney General Leon Pinder and Magistrates Court Judge Joyanne Ferguson-Pratt.
According to Bankman-Fried, this was all part of an orchestrated pressure campaign by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) against the Attorney General of the Bahamas to eventually bring him back to the US. A diplomatic note sent to Pinder on December 10 formally requesting Bankman-Freed’s extradition highlighted the risk the Justice Department sees if Bankman-Freed is allowed to remain at large.
One of the paragraphs of the note read: “Legally obtained written evidence and various interviews of witnesses show that Bankman-Fried personally amassed billions of dollars through his involvement in a criminal conspiracy: thus he has the means and may soon have a motive for flight from the Bahamas.
The note also expressed concerns that Bankman-Freed would attempt to destroy the evidence.
On December 13, Bankman-Freed formally applied for his release on bail, but it was denied within three minutes. After that, he was taken into custody and sent to the infamous Fox Hill prison in the Bahamas to await an extradition hearing on February 10th. On the same day, U.S. Attorney’s Office filed eight criminal charges against him, mostly for fraud related to the activities of his once-great cryptocurrency empire, FTX.
Bahamas Department of Corrections at Fox Hill Jail. (Photo by Rebecca Blackwell AP TASS)
Ohio Representative Warren Davidson, who is on the House Financial Services Committee, suggested that Bankman-Freed’s arrest was planned to disrupt his speech before the House of Representatives the following morning. The testimony prepared by him was published by Forbes after his arrest.
In them, Bankman-Fried questioned the intentions of current FTX CEO John Ray and also blamed Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao and several other people, including Sullivan & Cromwell’s FTX lawyers, for his predicament.
Related material
Bankman-Freed didn’t know what to expect at Fox Hill. “I thought it was going to be like The Shawshank Redemption,” admitted the former billionaire who grew up in Palo Alto, California, a city where the median home price is $3.4 million. 20 square feet with green and yellow walls, which he shared with five other inmates in the prison infirmary. Acting Bahamas Commissioner of Corrections Doane Clear said the decision to place Bankman-Freed in the infirmary allowed him to be separated from the general population of the prison, which the US State Department describes as “harsh due to overcrowding, poor nutrition, inadequate sanitation, ventilation and medical services”. Soon, most of the former billionaire’s attention shifted to finding vegan food: peanut butter, stale bread, and fresh fruit.
The infirmary had a private bathroom with a door, but the only way to flush the toilet was to pour a bucket of water into it. The musty, telephone booth-sized shower had no hot water, and Bankman-Freed had to use a garden hose instead of a shower head. The towel given out at the prison was 3 inches by 5 inches (1 inch is a little over 2 cm).
Bankman-Fried describes his bed as “the worst bed imaginable, made of cardboard and a piece of semi-soft plastic on stilts.” There were no pillows, instead he used his dark blue jacket, which he wore to court hearings.
Related material
Bankman-Freed became friends with the other prisoners and never once felt threatened. Some asked him for money. He interacted with other prisoners, many of whom were held on drug-related charges.
He wanted to know how they calculated the risk and reward of choosing such a dangerous lifestyle. They told him they could make three times as much selling drugs as they did working at McDonald’s. Therefore, the financial security of their families was worth spending a third of their lives in prison.
The worst ordeal of Bankman-Freed’s nine-day detention was the lack of internet. “I didn’t realize how much internet access was more important to me than anything else. But as it turned out, the Internet accounted for about 80% of the hardships that I experienced while in prison, ”admitted Bankman-Fried. However, he said that sometimes he still managed to get access to the newspaper. The former billionaire also claims he was limited to one 30-minute phone call during his entire time in prison, but was allowed to meet with his Bahamian lawyers daily.
Accustomed to having the answers to all his questions on the internet, Bankman-Fried used his daily visitors as couriers, loading them with papers with questions about his case, the FTX bail and bankruptcy, and detailed instructions on exactly how to find these answers.
He expected the answers to be delivered during the next day’s visit. “I tried to pretend that I had an internet connection with a delay of one day,” admitted Bankman-Fried.
Bankman-Fried shared that by the end of his first week in prison without access to his Twitter account, his iPhone, and his Storybook Brawl game, he began to go crazy. In fact, he does not deny that being able to access the Internet again was the driving force behind his extradition and bail deal. One of his biggest fears was the possibility of extradition without a bail agreement and involuntary transfer to an institution such as the infamous New York Metropolitan Correctional Center, the location where Bernard Madoff (was sentenced to 150 years for creating the largest financial pyramids in modern history), El Chapo (Joaquin Archivaldo Guzmán Loera, known as El Chapo (Spanish: El Chapo – shorty) – Mexican drug lord, head of the Sinaloa drug cartel) and Jeffrey Epstein (businessman accused of human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation , according to the official version, committed suicide in prison).
Internet access in this prison is strictly limited.
On December 19, Bankman-Fried waived his right to fight extradition and agreed to return to the US to face charges. Two days later, a private FBI jet flew the former FTX CEO, escorted by four FBI agents, to White Plains, New York. The agents placed Bankman-Freed at the local police station, where he spent the night. Bankman-Freed recalls how a kind stranger handed him a vegetarian pad thai. The following morning, appearing before a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in midtown Manhattan, Bankman-Fried’s attorneys agreed to a $250 million bail partially secured by his parents’ $4 million home, where he is currently held in electronic custody. ankle bracelet. The passport of the former FTX CEO has been confiscated. Bankman-Fried is now prohibited from opening new businesses or credit accounts, or engaging in financial transactions worth more than $1,000 without court permission.
Related material
Bankman-Fried now spends most of his time in the office of his 3,000-square-foot Spanish-style family home on the edge of Stanford’s bucolic campus. There he sits staring at his dual-monitor gaming laptop. Even during a three-hour Forbes interview, he didn’t look up from his game. Throughout the office are ceiling-height bookcases holding the greatest works of literature and history, as well as the latest bestsellers, books on economics, and a host of scientific journals. Family photos of Sam as a child (before the head of hair) can be seen everywhere with his parents and younger brother Gabe, and in the next room there is a piano.
Sam Bankman-Fried has internet access again. He spends his time playing Storybook Brawl and tinkering with his new free SBF blog, which you can subscribe to via Substack. In the first two posts, he gives his version of the history of FTX, Alameda and their collapse.
