Fraudsters
7 people, across 2 fields.
Bernie Madoff 1938–2021Notorious FiguresFinancier who ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history — costing investors tens of billions of dollars.Charles Ponzi 1882–1949Notorious FiguresThe 1920 Boston postal-coupon fraud that gave the Ponzi scheme its nameMichael Milken b. 1946Business, Finance & IndustryFinancier who built the modern high-yield bond market at Drexel Burnham Lambert, pleaded guilty to six securities and tax felonies in 1990, and later funded medical research and an economic think tank.
Elizabeth Holmes b. 1984Notorious FiguresTheranos founder convicted of fraud over false claims about the company's blood-testing technology.
Jay Gould 1836–1892Business, Finance & IndustryControlled major railroad and telegraph systems through aggressive stock manipulation.Ivan Boesky 1937–2024Business, Finance & IndustryThe 1980s insider trading scandal and the cooperation that brought down Michael Milken
Ferdinand Ward 1851–1925Notorious FiguresFinancier whose Ponzi scheme destroyed the firm bearing Ulysses S. Grant's name and bankrupted him.