Silk Road founder thanks US president for ‘amazing blessing’ in video message after his release from prison.Ross Ulbricht, the dark-web marketplace founder pardoned by United States President Donald Trump, has spoken about his release from prison for the first time.
Ulbricht, 40, was sentenced to two life sentences, plus 40 years, in 2015 for running Silk Road, an illicit online market that US prosecutors said facilitated $183m in drug sales using Bitcoin.
Trump on Tuesday issued Ulbricht a full and unconditional pardon, fulfilling a campaign promise to libertarians and cryptocurrency enthusiasts who had lobbied for his release.
In a video message posted on X on Friday, Ulbricht expressed his gratitude to Trump for granting him clemency.
“I was doing life without parole, and I was locked up for more than 11 years but he let me out. I’m a free man now. So let it be known that Donald Trump is a man of his word,” he said.
“Thank you so much, President Trump, for giving me this amazing blessing. I am so, so grateful to have my life back, to have my future back, to have a second chance.”
Ulbricht said he planned to spend time with his family but would have more to say in the future. Advertisement
“This is a victory and it’s your victory, too. And this is an important moment for everybody, everywhere who loves freedom and who cares about second chances,” he said.
“It feels amazing to be free, to say the least. It’s …
