Is Bernie Madoff a tragic figure?

[Ulli]

Is Bernie Madoff a tragic figure?

I don't want to excuse his deeds, but could it be, that he wanted to fulfill expectations, that he was not able to keep? I have never heard, that he had put greater ammounts of money into his pockets.

Like I have understood the case, he gave the money to other investors that wanted to have it back inclusive of interest.

So he wanted to keep his company alive until there was no money left.

Of cause a man has to keep his promises, but was he after a certain point no more master of the action?

What is your oppinion?

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

I don't think he should be prosecuted, that's for sure. He did not force anybody to give him money. What happened was 100% consensual and a matter for the market to take care of, not the law. When the government steps in to rescue people from their own stupid investments, it's socialism IMO.

[P J C]

Poor judgemant on the behalf of his investers, but if there is no proof that he broke the law than there is NO reason to prosecute him.

[mord]

He is a crook he must be punished

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Is Bernie Madoff a tragic figure?

No.  What he did was fraudulent.

I don't want to excuse his deeds, but could it be, that he wanted to fulfill expectations, that he was not able to keep?

People who 'want to fulfill expectations' are also bound by the law like everyone else.   And nowhere is there a heter (permission) to steal because you want to feel good or whatever other crazy reasons.    This guy literally stole billions of dollars and defrauded many many investors.    A disgrace

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

It's not "fraud" in the classic sense. He didn't pull an insurance or workman's comp scam or anything like that, or refuse to pay for a service he used. It goes without saying that there is risk involved in giving somebody a bunch of money who promises to triple or quadruple that or whatever. It is my opinion that the people who handed over to Madoff their life savings were gullible. This is a matter for the market to deal with, not Big Brother.

[RanterMaximus]

He's a dirtbag.  The Statue Of Liberty in the year 2009- now that's a tragic figure!

[Zelhar]

He is a cold calculating thief. Which is how he was able to keep his operation going on for so long. The reason that he may have 'only' pocketed to himself hundreds of millions $ is due to the nature of the ponzy operation.  Besides much of the 50$ dollars never existed, they were basically an imaginary profit, the result of a supposedly assured 1% monthly gain.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

He is a cold calculating thief. Which is how he was able to keep his operation going on for so long. The reason that he may have 'only' pocketed to himself hundreds of millions $ is due to the nature of the ponzy operation.  Besides much of the 50$ dollars never existed, they were basically an imaginary profit, the result of a supposedly assured 1% monthly gain.

Exactly, he never actually made money on the stock market, he only "predicted" gains after the fact and pretended as if he had invested in these things before they went up.   It was all phony.