> "Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried have been close friends of my wife and I since the mid-1990s," Kramer wrote in an email. "During the past two years, while my family faced a harrowing battle with cancer, they have been the truest of friends – bringing food, providing moral support, and frequently stepping in at moment's notice to help. In turn, we have sought to support them as they face their own crisis."
> He also said he had no business interest in the $500,000 he contributed towards Bankman-Fried's bond.
> "My actions are in my personal capacity, and I have no business dealings or interest in this matter other than to help our loyal and steadfast friends," Kramer wrote. "Nor do I have any comment or position regarding the substance of the legal matter itself, which is what the trial will be for."
As fun as the fantastical conspiracy theories are, often the truth is the much more boring “Wealthy people are like everyone else and will often help their friends’ families if they’re in a position to do so.”
I’d lean toward that explanation here. The only question with SBF is how long he’s going to spend in prison so it’s not surprising a friend of his family stepped in so they could spend the duration of the court case with him rather than visiting him in pre-trial detention.
