Ross Ulbricht
Edited by The Inner Circle LedgerLedger updated Sep 30, 2026
- Status
- Pardon granted
- Clemency
- Pardon · Jan 21, 2025
- People
- Donald Trump
- The case
- Silk Road dark-web marketplace; serving two life sentences plus 40 years.
THE LINK TO TRUMP’S ORBIT
A campaign pledge made to the 2024 Libertarian National Convention. No payment is documented; the pardon was sought by cryptocurrency and libertarian advocates.
WHAT THE RECORD SHOWS
Full and unconditional pardon on the second day of the term.
RESPONSE
Ulbricht thanked Trump in a video posted to X, calling him “a man of his word,” and his family thanked him in a statement on FreeRoss.org, Fox News reported.
Correction. An earlier version said Ulbricht was serving life plus 40 years. He was serving two life sentences plus 40 years. Corrected September 18, 2026.
SOURCES
- Wikipedia: List of people granted executive clemency in the second Trump presidency ↗
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney: Clemency grants by President Donald J. Trump (2025-present) ↗
- Fox News: Ross Ulbricht, founder of darknet drug market Silk Road, thanks Trump for pardon: ‘I’m a free man now’ ↗
A connection recorded here is not proof that it bought the outcome. Where a response exists, it is part of the record. How entries are labeled · Submit a correction or response · Download the ledger
