Posted on December 21, 2008 - by musicwhiz

Bernard Madoff – Where Integrity crumbled in the Face of Greed

Photo by Shiny Things

Most readers here should be familiar with the case of the rogue hedge fund manager Bernard Madoff, who appeared in the news after admitting to running a Ponzi scheme of unprecedented scale. He is allegedly the mastermind of the world’s largest Ponzi scheme (valued at US$50 billion and counting) and who had been duping investors for quite some years before everything began falling apart like a house of cards.

Much has been reported in the news (CNN, CNBC, Time, Reuters and Forbes), each with their own views on the case and also different commentaries about what happened and why it happened. Perhaps I can take the time to dissect some aspects of the case so that we can all learn a lesson about honesty, integrity and greed.

Leaving aside the details of how Madoff managed to fool investors (and amazingly, the SEC) for so long, we delve into the fundamental reason for his deviant behaviour. It all simply boils down to – GREED. Greed of course is simplifying the whole issue, since arrogance, failure to accept losses and probably even self-denial came into the picture somewhere along the way, but the penultimate driving force should have been greed (for money and reputation) because it is like lifeblood for some people – it keeps them going and it fills them with a sense of self-importance.

Were investors to know that Madoff had lost money in certain years and opened his fund more judiciously to outsiders, he would then have lost that “awe” which he commanded in his loyal followers. It was precisely because of this hero-worshipping that got so many “sophisticated” investors into deep trouble. Madoff was a man hungry for power and status, and the recognition which came with it. If he had admitted being anything less than infallible, his demi-god status in the hedge fund circles would have been instantly shattered. Read more…

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