Charles Ponzi - $20 million
Charles Ponzi promised investors 50% returns in 45 days through arbitrage involving international postal reply coupons. The scheme was brilliant in its simplicity and timing. After WWI, America was ea...
Read MoreVictor Lustig - Millions in modern value
Victor Lustig's most famous scam occurred in 1925 Paris when he read about the Eiffel Tower's expensive maintenance. Posing as a government official, he invited scrap metal dealers to a confidential m...
Read MoreKenneth Lay, Jeffrey Skilling - $74 billion losses
Enron was once America's seventh-largest company. Behind the impressive facade, executives engaged in massive accounting fraud using special purpose entities and mark-to-market accounting to hide bill...
Read MoreBernard Madoff - $65 billion
Bernard Madoff operated the largest Ponzi scheme in history from his Manhattan investment firm. For nearly two decades, he convinced thousands that he was generating consistent returns through sophist...
Read MoreElizabeth Holmes - $700+ million
Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos at 19, claiming revolutionary blood testing technology requiring only a finger prick. She became Silicon Valley's darling, attracting nearly $1 billion in funding fro...
Read MoreDr. Ruja Ignatova - $4+ billion
Dr. Ruja Ignatova launched OneCoin in 2014 claiming it would become 'the Bitcoin killer.' She convinced millions worldwide to invest through multi-level marketing. Members attended lavish events wher...
Read MoreSatish Kumbhani - $2+ billion
BitConnect promised up to 40% monthly returns through its cryptocurrency lending platform and trading bot. Users would buy Bitcoin, convert it to BCC token, then lend to the platform. Promoters held ...
Read MoreSam Bankman-Fried - $8+ billion
Sam Bankman-Fried founded FTX cryptocurrency exchange in 2019. Within three years, FTX became the world's second-largest crypto exchange, valued at $32 billion. SBF became a billionaire celebrity. Be...
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