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In 2009, fraudster Bernie Madoff plead guilty to running the largest Ponzi scheme in history, worth about $64.8 billion.
He was sentenced to 150 years in prison and died in April of 2021 due to chronic kidney disease.
Reports have confirmed that the disgraced financier’s sister has died along with her husband. It’s currently being investigated as a possible murder-suicide.
86-year-old Sondra Wiener and her husband Marvin Wiener were both found dead in their Florida home. The investigation is still underway.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the investigation but wouldn’t identify the decedents.
60 Minutes Archive: The man who figured out Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. WATCH:
Madoff managed to keep the scheme functioning for decades. It began as a penny stock brokerage in 1960, which eventually grew into Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities.
Serving as the company’s chairman until his arrest in 2008, Madoff swindled thousands of people out of their life savings. Prosecutors said the scheme began in the early 1970s.
He defrauded as many as 37,000 people in 136 countries out of up to $65 billion.
His wife, now-80-year-old Ruth Madoff, has claimed that she and her husband attempted suicide together during the scandal but their attempt failed.
Bernie Madoff Dead In Prison At 82:
At the firm, Bernie employed his brother Peter Madoff as senior managing director and chief compliance officer. Peter was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2012.
Peter’s son, Mark Madoff, committed suicide by hanging in 2010, exactly two years after his father’s arrest. He was 46.
Victims of the scheme included ordinary investors as well as celebrities like Steven Spielberg, Kevin Bacon and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Weisel.
CBS Coverage: Bernie Madoff and How he pulled it off. WATCH:
Please note: This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
