Dear Mr. and Mrs. Madoff,
How are you? I am fine. I heard on the news that you were both very sad after you found out that Mr. Madoff’s fraud was going to be public. Sudden publicity can be shocking, so I can understand why you both might be depressed. What bothers me is that you did not feel sad enough to not perpetrate the fraud in the first place.
I’m not saying that I’m perfect. We’re all human, and it’s human nature to make mistakes. It’s also human nature to sometimes do bad things. When we do a bad thing, though, we’re supposed to be sorry for it and to try and undo what was done. You both, however, used the court system to try and keep some of the money you had basically stolen from others. Because the US Government accepted the plea, you both now get to keep some of that money. This is bad because it is not good.
Your scandal made lots of other people very sad. Many of those people are still sad. They are deeply and profoundly sad. Some of them thought that the deep and profound sadness was behind them after they got out of the Auschwitz murder camp, but you found a way to shatter their peace and security in their last days on earth. When I tell people about how life can be unfair, I will be sure to use that as an example, Mr. and Mrs. Madoff.
I don’t think I’m being overly judgmental to say that what you did was bad and that you need to try harder to make it right. You’ve still got some of that money and before you say you need it to live off of, think about what the people that you made very very sad are going to live off of. They were planning to live off of the money you are living off of.
I hope you both choose to make things right while you still have time. As long as you’re alive, you can change and do the right thing.
Please try harder,
Dean Webb
I don’t think Mrs. Madoff is fully to blame. When she found out about her husband she was shocked but I’m sure the society’s pressures of today and her loyalty to her husband kept her from a divorce. I agree that his Ponzi scheme is diplorable and I don’t understand how he could willingly take away others futures.
Actually, her reason for not having a divorce was pretty brutal: “He’s going to die in prison and I don’t want another man in my life, so why bother.”
You know, when I saw you’d written a letter to the Madoffs urging them to try harder, I’m ashamed to admit that my first thought was “Is Dean referring to their failed suicide attempt?”
Then I realized that, knowing you, I couldn’t be right about that, so I came here to read your letter to them. As always, your rhetoric is deceptively simple — well done, sir.
If they committed fraud,how is it possible that they still have the money they stole from other people? Isn’t the goverment supposed to confiscate the money and try to return it to the people?
What Bernie Madoff did was so horrible, I feel like anyone who profited from his crimes should no longer have even remote access to that kind of lifestyle. Any money coming from the new book about their family should go straight to the victims.
Noted as the largest financial fraud in the U.S. to date, it seems surprising that there would even be any question that the Madoffs can keep any of their money. Are there some legality issues so that there is actually some ARGUMENT for them to keep the money they scammed off of innocent people?
Sometimes, I feel like society can learn how evil the world actually really is from people like the Madoffs. People need to learn who to trust and when to trust. I believe Mr. Madoff teaches us all that very lesson.
I think that society can learn so much about how evil the world truly is by actions taken by men such as Mr. Madoff. Hopefully, we can all learn a lesson from this and know who to trust and when to trust that person. Let this be a lifelong lesson.
I agree with Denise, why would the court system even consider allowing the Madoffs to keep some of the money that they didn’t rightfully gain. Actually, why would they even think that they should still be able to keep the money even after the fraud. If they were sad, they should at least be a little more sympathetic about the well being of the people, who have just been blind sided with money being stolen from them. At least give them back what’s theirs, not just keep it to yourselves. Y’all have already done wrong to these people, and it doesn’t making any sense that the Madoffs get to keep the money.
I agree with Denise and Kathy. I hope they dont get to keep anything because what they did was horrible.