Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the dark-web marketplace, has shared his thoughts about being released from prison after receiving a pardon from US President Donald Trump. It’s the first time he’s spoken out since the pardon.
Ross Ulbricht, now 40, was sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years in 2015 for running Silk Road. The infamous online marketplace, according to US prosecutors, facilitated $183 million in drug sales, all through Bitcoin.
In a video message shared on X on Friday (Jan. 24), the Silk Road creator thanked Trump for granting him clemency, expressing his heartfelt gratitude.
— Ross Ulbricht (@RealRossU) January 24, 2025
He said: “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.
“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 stated that he’s looking forward to spending time with his family for now but promised to share more thoughts in the future.
He continued: “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.”
Trump’s support for Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht
Trump became a vocal supporter of his cause, siding with libertarians who argued that his conviction was a case of government overreach. On Tuesday (Jan. 22), Trump shared that he had personally called Ulbricht’s mother to let her know he had granted her son a pardon.
The current president also described those responsible for imprisoning him as “scum” and “lunatics.” In his view, he also suggested that the sentence was excessive: “He was given two life sentences, plus 40 years. Ridiculous!
Ahead of Trump’s pardon, United States Senator Rand Paul had also called on him to pardon Ulbricht in a Jan. 21 letter.
Earlier this month, the US government was allowed by a court to sell $6.5 billion worth of Bitcoin seized from the world’s first darknet market.
Featured image: Ross Ulbricht via Twitter / Grok / Canva
