Why, as a matter of interest? These _really_ big, blatant frauds usually do; see Madoff, Holmes, et al. Like, it's hard to see how he'd avoid prison, certainly in the US.
Other noted fraud-y bitcoin exchange guy Mark Karpelès avoided prison after conviction, but the evidence was much weaker there and they only found him guilty on fraudulently inflating MtGox's holdings (a la Donald Trump); also, that was Japan.
(Fun fact; after the collapse of MtGox, Karpelès went into business with Andrew Lee, the guy who broke freenode and claims to be the Crown Prince of Korea. The world of weird internet grifters is small and incestuous.)
He was well connected, especially his parents. Huge political donor. He likely would have recieved a small sentence and somewhat validated my doubt had he not purgured and witness tampered during the trial.
Sure, but, like, so were Madoff and Holmes. Henry Kissinger, _Henry Kissinger_, was on Theranos's board. Rupert Murdoch invested. I don't think SBF really had anyone on that level?
There is a certain point where it no longer matters; such connections would only really matter if they could get the investigation stopped. Once it goes to court, assuming it's a proper court, those sort of connections kind of cease to matter.
