- Sam Bankman-Fried's new dog can attack with a single command, per Forbes.
- His parents reportedly gave him the dog, a German shepherd named Sandor.
Sam Bankman-Fried's new German shepherd can reportedly attack on command.
The former FTX CEO's animal companion, named Sandor, pounces in response to a "secret word," according to Forbes.
The 75-pound Sandor, whose name evokes the meaning "defender of men," was a gift from Bankman-Fried's parents, per a Puck interview.
A representative for Bankman-Fried declined to comment on Thursday.
Bankman-Fried is currently under house arrest at his parents' home near Stanford University, confined there with an ankle monitor after being released in December on a $250 million bail package.
Earlier this month, he pleaded not guilty to the criminal wire fraud and conspiracy charges against him. He faces the prospect of a trial in October, though he could theoretically work out a deal with prosecutors any time before then.
In court filings this month, Bankman-Fried referenced the toll of the public proceedings on his parents, Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman, saying that they're dealing with "intense media scrutiny, harassment, and threats."
His lawyers referred to an episode in which three men in a car hit a security barrier at his parents' home and made a threat to a security guard who had to send them away.
Bankman-Fried's lawyers have argued that such concerns about personal safety also extend to his two other bail sponsors, who have posted a total of $700,000, and told the New York federal court overseeing his case that they shouldn't be publicly named.
News organizations, including Insider, have challenged that argument, telling the court that the identities of Bankman-Fried's backers are a matter of public interest in light of the scale of the alleged fraud at FTX, which government agents have alleged led to the loss of $8 billion in customer funds.