April 14, 2021- In 2008, when many of us were already experiencing financial setbacks and unanticipated high expenses, I received word that some who were very close to me had been bilked by Bernard Madoff and his pyramid schemes. One of these people was able to recupe much of what Madoff took, through other, wiser investments. Others are still feeling the effects of the entirety of their losses from that time.

Bernie did not “make-off” with very much, in the end. He died this morning, in a Federal prison, having outlived his two sons and having seen his once incredible fortune siphoned off by the Federal government and the more fortunate among his creditors. The fact that he lived a lie, for nearly forty years, off of other people’s money is a cautionary tale, and nothing else.

None of the grand experiences he may have had, during his halcyon days, could have come close to balancing the horrors that Bernard Lawrence Madoff visited upon himself and his family. His sons are dead; his widow lives on, and however comfortable her circumstances may seem to the outside observer, no sane person would trade places with her. Indeed, one can only call upon our Creator to exercise His mercy on her.

May the likes of the level of unconscionable greed, which the world witnessed in the 2000s, never be seen again.