The Madoff Affair (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

Summary by Krater

Frontline investigates the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, detailing how the largest financial fraud in history operated for decades with billions of dollars and evaded detection by the SEC despite numerous red flags.

From the video

Answers: How did Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme operate and evade detection for decades?

• Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme
• SEC investigation failures
• Wall Street market making
• Feeder funds and feeder fund management
• Whistleblower warnings to regulators

What it concludes

• Feeder funds like Fairfield Greenwich and Tremont Capital fed billions of dollars into Madoff's fund while conducting minimal due diligence.
• The SEC received detailed warnings and red flags from whistlebusters like Harry Markopolos years before the scheme collapsed but failed to uncover the fraud.
• Madoff's scheme ultimately collapsed in December 2008 during the financial crisis when redemption requests overwhelmed the inflow of new capital.