Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX team among top political donors before bankruptcy

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and members of his team rose from relative obscurity in Washington to be among the biggest donors in American politics, contributing more than $70 million to election campaigns in less than 18 months.

Mr. Bankman-Fried personally gave $40 million to politicians and political action committees ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, mostly to Democrats and liberal groups, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks campaign donations. Ryan Salame, another FTX executive, donated more than $23 million, mostly to Republican and conservative groups.