“Fake it 'til you make it”, right? Well Bernie Madoff faked it so hard he was sentenced to 150 years in prison! Come with us on a journey through the worst financial crime in US history (that we know of), the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, where one man with a crippling fear of failure scammed thousands of people out of a sickening amount of money (we’re talking tens of billions, girl.) Tangents include but are not limited to the concept of renting a home, crying over dog poop, Sam Levinson and his dad, and whether Abe will marry Claudia or Jared for a different passport.

SOURCES

• A Case Study of a Con Man by Diana Henriques (2018)
• Bernie Madoff and the largest known Ponzi scheme in history | 60 Minutes
• The Madoff Affair (full documentary) | FRONTLINE PBS
• “Latest Batch Of Payouts To 25,000 Victims Of Madoff Ponzi Scheme Total Almost $160 Million” by James Farrell, Forbes 2023
• The Wizard of Lies (2017) dir. Barry Levinson

THAT'S HISTORY, BABE! is hosted by Abe Merker and Jared Tetreau. This episode was produced by Jared Tetreau, Abe Merker, and Claudia Chiossone. Research Assistance by Madison Albertson. Music by Kinneret. Series Artwork by Sid Lugo. Intro Animations by Gemma Hill.

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