Madoff With the Money

by Jerry Oppenheimer

Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, True Crime

256 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2009

About the author

Jerry Oppenheimer is an author who has written several unauthorized biographies of public figures including Hillary and Bill Clinton, Anna Wintour, Rock Hudson, Martha Stewart, Barbara Walters, Ethel Kennedy, Jerry Seinfeld and the Hilton family.

Toy Monster: The Big Bad World of Mattel was published on Feb 3 2009 and his latest book (as of Aug 2, 2009), will be about Bernie Madoff, titled Madoff with the Money. Both published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

In addition to being a biographer he has also worked in several different capacities as a journalist, including as an investigative reporter and a producer of television news programs and documentaries.

Reviews

[Foteini Fp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bernie's συνέχεια.

[Maryann MJS1228 · Rating 3 out of 5]

When money and crime collide on a colossal scale one can be sure that the literary equivalent of ambulance-chasing lawyers will be on the scene documenting the excessive for us all to enjoy. The 100 car-pile-up known as Bernie Madoff is the subject of several insta-books. The title of this one indicates the overall tone of the book - half moral-indictment, half National Enquirer exposé. All in all, that's exactly what Madoff deserves at this point. Think of this as Vulgarians at the Gate.

Jerry Oppenheimer starts out the book by spending the first chapter telling us how this book isn't like all the other insta-books out there. He's exploring the big issues, "weaving" an "in-depth profile" etc. Which roughly translates into "blah blah blah" as far as I'm concerned. Just get on with the book. Once Oppenheimer gets done telling us of his high-minded aspirations for the book off come the gloves. It starts with a description of Bernie's parents overseeing an "ethically and morally bankrupt household" and just keeps rolling. I've seen serial killers treated more warmly than uber-conman Madoff. Oppenheimer rarely lets a paragraph go by without letting readers know he thinks Bernie is pond scum.

Oppenheimer ladles on the Yiddish expressions every so often in a particularly artless way and does make a few genuinely bonkers connections, such as likening Bernie's secretary, Eleanor Squillari to Richard Nixon's secretary Rose Mary Woods. They were both secretaries but beyond that? Oppenheimer is at his best when he's delivering insights from Madoff's friends, victims and acquaintances. Like the old friend who's smart enough to notice that Bernie is too thick to figure out the time difference between New York and London without the aid of two Rolex watches. Or the many nasty stories told about Bernie's niece Shana who appears to have endeared herself to so many who have repaid the favor by all but suggesting she roamed the streets of New York with a mattress strapped to her back. Nothing sums up this book better that this choice line:

"Besides being a crook, Bernie was a bit of a perv."

Yes, gentle reader, he certainly was.

This book will neither expand your intellectual horizons nor answer any of the deeper questions about how such a massive fraud could go undetected for so long. It will, however, introduce you to some of the most tasteless, vulgar foul-mouthed people on the planet. Someday a James B. Stewart or Kurt Eichenwald may tackle this sordid tale and bring us those deeper insights. Until then, we'll always have satisfyingly trashy outings like Madoff With the Money to remind us that behind every sleazy crime is an even bigger sleazeball.

Take it for what it is, a long, gossipy reasonably but not exhaustively research magazine article.

[Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I totally understand that it will be a few years before the really meaty well-researched books about Madoff will be written. It takes time and distance to write them. But just because this was obviously a quickly thrown-together, sensationalistic book designed to capitalize on the scandal still being in the papers... would it have killed the publisher to arrange for the book to be edited?

All that aside, it's a fun romp, if I could get over the disorganization and ocational repetition. the world of Madoff's circle seems crazy and foreign. I've never known any New York investment bankers, so maybe he's just a part of a bigger crazy subculture, but is still sounds so different from the world of business and investment banking in the rest of the country.

Finally, I was really awestruck by how broad the fallout has beem. I mean, how often do you hear about Elie Wiesel and ZsaZsa Gabor's insane husband in the same context?

[Regan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sure Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme that defrauded his investors millions of dollars, is worthy of a good book.

Unfortunately, this is not that book. The author chooses to focus on Madoff's own personal story to try to explain how and why Madoff Securities became such a corrupt entity. The problem with this tact, is that at least according to the author, there's really not much to Madoff himself. He's not very bright, doesn't seem to have any interests/goals other than making and spending money, and seems to have as much personality as a wet potato chip.

So the author has little light to shed on Madoff's character - just a few weak anecdotes from friends and family, and then basically the same story, just different people, of how he bilked investors.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bernie Madoff defrauded investors with his Ponzi scheme and Jerry Oppenheimer defrauded readers with this book. I got the book at the library, so technically I never spent any money on it. But someone did and that should still be a crime. The book is so poorly written, it is hard to describe it as a book. I suspect it was written quickly to take advantage of the sensationalism of the crime. The book is just goofy, trying to draw a connection between Bernie making up a book report in his 11th grade English class and his $65 billion Ponzi scheme. The research is almost non-existent. The writing is poor. My recommendation is to stay clear of this book.

[Tom Webster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sensationalist, biased, repetitive and rushed.
Oppenheimer's look into the life of Bernard L Maddof dedicates far too many chapters to his early life in order to make up for a lack of actual substance.

Once you get past the oft repeated sound bites from high school chums there is literally nothing of interest in this book.

I get that Maddof was a Crook but is it really necessary to keep forcing that view down our throats?

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This surprised me that Madoff seemed to have so many signs of mendacity going all the way back to his college years ... but maybe that should not have. His extreme OCD was unknown to me and the way he even took advantage so completely of this friends and Elie Wiesel shocked me like the first time I heard it. The details about the run-up to the collapse of the Ponzi scheme - both the long years and the final months - make a convincing case for complicity among several of his close family members (but not all), including his wife Ruth. Blood relatives an din-laws were among his victims, too. Also were famous people, like Kevin Bacon, with the case of Zsa Zsa Gabor gone into in some detail.

[Pete Acott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I too agree there seemed bias in the writing and that stories and sources repeated throughout. One also craved more detail and depth regarding the actual scam/scams, and nearing the end it became increasingly obvious that there really wasn't much more on offer that couldn't be gleaned from a quick scan of the Bernie Madoff wiki bio.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of the Madoff saga; however it seemed a bit sparse on facts an times - no description of how Madoff actually managed to run the scam - and a bit personal even. But a good read overall.

[Howard Stolzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is amazing that this was allowed to happen. I manage a large financial firm and I make sure all my subordinates take all the necessary exams and comply by all the necessary regulations. We cannot have something like this happen again.

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, it was a quick read. Only cemented my opinion that Madoff is a total douchebag. May he rot in hell.

[E Goldberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Waste of time.

[Maureen Flatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbelievable. Convergence of greed and a complete lack of oversigt.

[Kate Casey]

Not very insightful. Too much background on his upbringing and not enough about the time before the arrest. The author tended to repeat the same stories over and over again.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. In response to other comments, I think the stuff on his early life was good, helping explain why he would do this. It also shows there was not much of a personality there.

[Lee Sacco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read. I am looking for more about him and what has happened to the rest of his family and the rest of the money.

[Paul Pisani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book by Oppenheimer - back story of Madoff, and his scheme.

[Christine Daley]

currently reading

[Jelena · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice

[James Zhang · Rating 1 out of 5]

dull dull dull; don't waste time on it

[Mary Coughlin]

Such an insightful book. I could not help but wonder why Madoff did what he did. So many lives ruined, friends and family members who trusted him. Great book -highly recommend.

[Radhika · Rating 3 out of 5]

What was I thinking!

Sad on so many levels!

[Lady Olenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love true crime anything. So this book was a perfect fit. It was factual, scandalous and jaw dropping. The reason being, as a mere mortal this book allowed me a peek into how the rich and richer lived. The amount of money, luxury and privilege the one percent get to experience is unimaginable for my impoverished self to fathom. One thing that stuck with me was how they’d land from their private jet, and to avoid traffic they’d take the yacht to reach their house 🤯. This is the first time I have heard of such a practice. It’s too outlandish to even imagine anyone doing this! Anyway, “how the mighty has fallen” should sum up this book.

The writing is good, understandable and easy to follow. My only slightly negative opinion of this book I would say is the chronology of the story. The beginning and end was spot on, the origins of Madoff and where he was held in prison. However, the middle part was quite jumbled in terms of order. It’s not too hard to keep up, I guess it would have been nicer if it was in a straight timeline. Nonetheless, it was a good read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the Wizard of Lies, at least in part since it was written much sooner and the tragic fate of the sons was still unknown. Still worth reading though, as it gives a really immediate sense of the hugeness of the con, the almost complete indifference of the SEC workers who were supposed to be investigating fraud, and the effects on all Madoff’s many investors, both large and small, who saw him as some kind of once-in-a-lifetime genius. A real warning about the perils of believing in fairy tales.

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an outrageous character and monster he is, with no remorse for everybody he left penniless...this includes his very own family! Great read if you're interested in what dogs Bernie and Ruth are.

[Olga Vannucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

He was not all that smart,
Deception was his art.
Was it Ponzi from the start?
Oh, and then, who else took part?

[Kedijik · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is alright, but the more interesting mafia and intl ties are left unexamined whereas much is made of family gossip.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book

Tytyyyyyy. Uyyyuyyyyy bbbbbbbbbh jjjjjjj

A a s s f f f f g r y r r r e r

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gossipy. A different view of the Madoff scandal.