Welcome to the Next 150 Years

Patrick Chappatte, The International Herald Tribune Jul 1, 2009 Dig deeper

The Root of Madoff’s Evil

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Jul 1, 2009 Bernard Madoff should be exhibit A in why the dark world of totally unregulated private money managers and hedge funds should be opened to the light of systematic government supervision. Instead, he is being treated as an aberrant menace. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Bethany McLean on Madoff

Staff / Truthdig Jun 30, 2009 Amy Goodman talks with Bethany McLean, pictured, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and one of the journalists responsible for exposing the Enron scandal in 2001, about Bernie Madoff and what his 150-year sentence means on Wall Street. Check out this clip from Tuesday's "Democracy Now!" Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

150 Years in the Slammer for Madoff

Staff / Truthdig Jun 29, 2009 Bernard Madoff, the man responsible for the biggest Ponzi scheme in human history, has been sentenced to 150 years in prison. The judge was unswayed by the "tormented state" Madoff now finds himself in after swindling $65 billion over a span of 20 years, which affected thousands of people, from Elie Wiesel and Sandy Koufax to small investors and retirees. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Yoo’s Views Make Philly News

Amy Goodman / Truthdig May 20, 2009 The Philadelphia Inquirer, one of that city's two major daily newspapers, is in the news itself these days after hiring controversial former Bush administration lawyer John Yoo as a monthly columnist. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Madoff Investors Under Investigation

Staff / Truthdig May 19, 2009 File under "honor among thieves?" A group of prominent investors in Bernard Madoff's failed financial enterprise are being investigated by the U.S. attorney's office in New York City for allegedly playing Madoff's fraudulent system to their advantage. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Cuomo Sues Madoff’s ‘Middleman’ Over $2.4B Handoff

Staff / Truthdig Apr 7, 2009 Manhattan financier and art aficionado Ezra Merkin may pay a high price for passing some $2.4 billion of his own clients' money to Bernard Madoff, if New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has his way in the matter. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

In for a Penny, In for $2.98 Trillion

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Apr 1, 2009 The good news on the government’s “No Banker Left Behind” program is that, according to the special inspector general’s report on Tuesday, the total handout to date is still less than 3 trillion dollars. It's only $2.98 trillion, to be precise, an amount six times greater than will be spent by federal, state and local governments this year on educating the 50 million American children in elementary and secondary schools. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Madoff’s Victims Speak Out

Staff / Truthdig Mar 22, 2009 Some of them have only their homes, while others have no remaining assets and no means to earn income, but all of the former clients of Bernard Madoff (above) whose statements were made public by the government on Friday described in nightmarish terms their experiences since Madoff's fraudulent investment empire crumbled. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Madoff Accountant Arrested

Staff / Truthdig Mar 18, 2009 David Friehling, the accountant of Bernard Madoff (pictured above), was arrested Wednesday on charges of securities fraud. Friehling is the first alleged accomplice to be named by authorities in connection with Madoff's $65 billion Ponzi scam, though the accountant was charged with auditing failures, not direct participation in the scheme itself. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mrs. Madoff Heading to Palm Beach

Staff / Truthdig Mar 18, 2009 While her husband is entering a decidedly less lavish living arrangement, it appears that Ruth Madoff is getting ready to live the Palm Beach life in her $9.4 million spread in Florida -- a state known for property laws that protect owners from losing their homes even when other assets are seized. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Madoff’s Businesses Worth $10M, Tops

Staff / Truthdig Mar 17, 2009 Although $10 million is a lot of money, it's not much compared with $50 billion in lost investments. The $10 million figure represents the upper limit of the current value of Bernard Madoff's businesses, which Madoff had valued at $826 million before his proverbial fall. It doesn't look good for his defrauded investors' chances of reclaiming much of their missing funds. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )