About
Joe Bankman is the Ralph M. Parsons Professor of Law and Business at Stanford Law School, a legal scholar and clinical psychologist, and the father of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried.
In his 2025 fireside conversation with Brent Cassity, he spoke about the impact of his son’s high-profile prosecution on his family and his own experience navigating public scrutiny.
Elsewhere on this story
- Joe Bankman's episode of Nightmare Success Nightmare Success episode: Joe Bankman, Surviving the FTX Collapse as a Father
At the White Collar Conference
Joe Bankman described the day the case reached his family in November 2022, his decision to be resilient, shutting out the press and fighting to keep teaching. He talked about sitting through the trial and sentencing and driving 400 miles each way for prison visits, and said he came away more convinced that people are basically good.
“I decided my only superpower was to be resilient.”
Watch at 10:31
“You're my friend no matter what.”
Watch at 20:13
“I came away more convinced than ever, actually, that people are basically good.”
Watch at 37:14
Chapters
- 0:00 Brent Cassity introduces Joe Bankman
- 5:17 November 2022: the tidal wave hits the family
- 7:00 Being a lawyer and a psychologist, and staying resilient
- 11:17 Handling the media
- 14:19 Teaching at Stanford during the case
- 20:29 Finding a trial lawyer and going to trial
- 27:42 Sentencing and the appeal
- 30:02 Debanking: losing bank accounts as a parent
- 33:09 Visiting a family member in federal prison
- 35:43 Advice for families: "people are good"
With Brent Cassity
Shared the stage
Join us in fall 2027.
The fourth annual White Collar Conference is planned for fall 2027, virtual on Zoom and open to all.