Madoff: Man Who Stole $65 Billion, The

Description:
Take the combined fortunes of Bill Gates, Tiger Woods and Roman Abramovich. Now imagine someone stealing that much money - and being hailed as a financial genius. That man is Bernard Madoff. Backed by governments and global banks, Madoff defrauded $65 billion from charities and individual investors including Stephen Spielberg. Finally turned in by his own sons, Madoff opened his door in his dressing gown to be arrested by the FBI. Eleven charges and eleven guilty verdicts later he swapped his penthouse for a prison cell. Only $1 billion was left. Madoff is the first definitive account of the rise and fall of the biggest fraudster ever. It's a story of greed, betrayal and lies, of remorseless risk-taking, family tragedy and financial disaster. Investigative reporter Erin Arvedlund was the first to expose Madoff back in 2001, but Wall Street and the world didn't listen. In this astonishing book, she answers the crucial unsolved questions: why and when did Madoff turn his business into a massive fraud? How did he fool so many investors for so long? Who knew the truth? And who, ultimately, is Bernard Madoff?

Review:
A watertight account of one of the most gripping crimes of our day, written with a reporter's panache. A must-read. City AM Tantalising and entertaining... A gripping read. Financial Times Good reporting from the journalist who was there first. The book... will get you mad all over again. Bloomberg [Arvedlund] not only brings great lucidity to the subject but -supplies invaluable context about the devices that Madoff used to -perpetuate his confidence game. The Wall Street Journal Arvedlund has bragging rights... Her account will delight those more interested in the scam than in the man. Time This story has the elements of a Hollywood drama... Although the book focuses on a single financial scandal, it ends up being a warning of a failed regulatory system and the shocking ease in which a con artist can operate in finance - leaving you hoping that this time, Erin Arvedlund does not go ignored. InTheNews Arvedlund... works hard to situate the Madoff mess within the larger framework of hedge-fund mania and the Wall Street recklessness that led to the fiscal cataclysms of 2008. The New York Times

Author Biography:
Erin Arvedlund is an investigative journalist who has written for Barron's, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, TheStreet.com, and Portfolio.com. In 2001 she wrote the first major critical investigation into Madoff, based on more than 100 interviews, headlined 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. The US financial regulators did not follow up her revelations. She lives in Philadelphia.