"... promises a series of exclusives." (The Independent, August 17th 2009)

"... provides more evidence that we should have seen him [Madoff] coming." (The Times, August 11th 2009)

Praise for Jerry Oppenheimer's MADOFF with the money

"Jerry Oppenheimer's Madoff with the Money is a titillating read, based on dozens of interviews with people who knew Madoff intimately. These range from disgruntled relatives to Hollywood victims, such as Zsa Zsa Gabor and her ninth husband to those who lost life savings through feeder funds. It is the cheeky details that can make for truly dishy reading."

-USA TODAY

While Bernie Madoff may have pulled off one of the biggest financial scams ever, the details of his life and long-running ruse are still cloaked in mystery with more questions than answers. Until now.

In Madoff with the Money, Oppenheimer goes behind the glaring headlines, the myriad lawsuits, indictments, and complaints to tell the real story of the enigmatic, bizarre life of Ponzi King Bernie Madoff--who Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Madoff victim Elie Wiesel called "a thief, scoundrel, criminal . . . psychopath [is] too nice a word for him." From dozens of exclusive, news-making interviews with the people who knew Madoff best--or thought they did--a shocking portrait emerges. From the one-time nobody who uses his cunning and street smarts, we see emerge a respected Wall Street titan, all the while leading a twisted life with multiple personas like a financial Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Madoff With the Money

Jerry Oppenheimer

New York Times Bestselling Author

Praise for

Jerry Oppenheimer's Toy Monster

"Jerry Oppenheimer, best known for mordant biographies like Just Desserts (about Martha Stewart) or State of a Union (on Bill and Hillary Clinton's marriage), has now trained his sights on the world's biggest toy company—its egos, scandals, and flawed products. In his toyland, nothing is cute."
—The Wall Street Journal?

"Oppenheimer takes a tour of Mattel's seamier side, highlighting its dubious corporate practices and kooky cast in this scathing portrait. . . . Fast-paced and engaging, this exposé will absorb readers until the last page and will forever change the way they think about the company."
—Publishers Weekly

"This juicy exposé shows that life inside the 64-year-old company was hardly always fun and games."
—People magazine

While Bernie Madoff may have pulled off one of the biggest financial scams ever, the details of his life and long-running ruse are still cloaked in mystery with more questions than answers. Until now.

In Madoff with the Money, Oppenheimer goes behind the glaring headlines, the myriad lawsuits, indictments, and complaints to tell the real story of the enigmatic, bizarre life of Ponzi King Bernie Madoff—who Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Madoff victim Elie Wiesel called "a thief, scoundrel, criminal...psychopath [is] too nice a word for him." From dozens of exclusive, news-making interviews with the people who knew Madoff best—or thought they did—a shocking portrait emerges. From the one-time nobody who uses his cunning and street smarts we see emerge a respected Wall Street titan, all the while leading a twisted life with multiple personas like a financial Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

"I said to Bernie, 'What's going on? What are you getting ready for?" because he's drinking this weird mix–whiskey and taking this other stuff to calm his stomach–and all he says is, 'I'm getting ready to do battle. I'm getting ready to make a decision.' That's all he said. It sounds nuts, but it's more like the bizarre world of Madoff."
—From Madoff with the Money

Through Jerry Oppenheimer's in-depth reporting, you'll discover Bernie Madoff as the high school English class cheat, the gung-ho ROTC cadet who pulls a fast one on Uncle Sam, and the ambitious macher who has very special reasons for choosing "Josie College" as his lawful wedded wife. The exclusive material also includes a Madoff family member who speaks out for the first time. You'll find new revelations in this startling case and become familiar with the trusting victims—ranging from nonprofit Jewish charities to the likes of seemingly sophisticated individuals such as actress Jane Fonda, who would "like to shake Madoff until his teeth fall out" to the scion of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire, who lost a bundle and was forced to rent out rooms in his house. There's even a number of Madoff's own family members, including his sister and sister-in-law and talk show host Larry King, who apparently didn't ask the right questions when they invested. Some lost their much-needed life savings, while others saw fortunes small and large evaporate in the greedy financial operations of one of history's all-time charlatans. Oppenheimer also unearths details on Madoff's "stockbroker guru" doing business with the Mob, the adultery hush money, and then there are the many compulsions, obsessions, and fetishes that read like something out of a psychology textbook, and much, much more.

Madoff will spend the rest of his life in prison. But the mindboggling case of the fraudster is far from over, and will continue beyond many of our lifetimes, as an army of federal prosecutors, lawyers, and forensic accountants search for the missing money, and try to find out who knew what and when. His wife? His sons? His brother? Others?

Engaging and at times unbelievable, Madoff with the Money weaves stories of Madoff's past with those of the present and delves into the details of the elusive man who lost investors billions. While a lot has been written about the Bernie Madoff debacle, no other account digs as deep or goes as far to uncover the truth behind the man and his incredible scam.