The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust

Written by Diana B. Henriques

Narrated by Pam Ward

Who is Bernie Madoff, and how did he pull off the biggest Ponzi scheme in history?



These questions have fascinated people ever since the news broke about the respected New York financier who swindled his friends, relatives, and other investors out of $65 billion through a fraud that lasted for decades. Many have speculated about what might have happened or what must have happened, but no reporter has been able to get the full story—until now.



In The Wizard of Lies, Diana B. Henriques of the New York Times—who has led the paper's coverage of the Madoff scandal since the day the story broke—has written the definitive book on the man and his scheme, drawing on unprecedented access and more than one hundred interviews with people at all levels and on all sides of the crime, including Madoff's first interviews for publication since his arrest. Henriques also provides vivid details from the various lawsuits, government investigations, and court filings that will explode the myths that have come to surround the story.



A true-life financial thriller, The Wizard of Lies contrasts Madoff's remarkable rise on Wall Street, where he became one of the country's most trusted and respected traders, with dramatic scenes from his accelerating slide toward self-destruction. It is also the most complete account of the heartbreaking personal disasters and landmark legal battles triggered by Madoff's downfall—the suicides, business failures, fractured families, shuttered charities—and the clear lessons this timeless scandal offers to Washington, Wall Street, and Main Street.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jun 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452673295

Diana B. Henriques

Diana B. Henriques is a senior financial writer for The New York Times, where she has led coverage of the Madoff scandal. She is the winner of numerous awards for her reporting on white-collar crime. A bio-pic of the book is in development with HBO Pictures.

Reviews for The Wizard of Lies

[Tricia Habert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Superb writing, excellent narration. If I could give this book 100 stars I would. Considering the density of the subject matter, Ms. Henriques and Ms. Ward strike an almost impossibly perfect balance of detail, explanation, humor and breadth of perspective without offense to the sad humanity of the tragic ordeal. Emotion and personality spring from the pages, but it is not those of the author or narrator, but those of all the characters—the victims, the perpetrators, the justice seekers, and the stunned outside onlookers. Brava.

[Samuel Saker Kunkel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting and worth the read. A biography of the man in question and the world he moved through and shaped. What disappointed me was the lack of systemic critique: little blame is placed on the hordes of feeder fund managers who failed to do their due diligence and even intentionally grifted the much mourned retirees and pensioners into ruin. Instead, the author seems more willing to blame each individual for not having the skills to navigate the intentionally opaque and gate-kept world of finance. Not for no reason, it seems, did Bernie Madoff choose his own story-teller.

[Ronald Paul Hessing · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

No good. Barely ever describes the events from Madoff's perspective nor how did he feel on these moments, nor why he took certain decisions. It seem as if most of the information comes from legal documents and converted into a story for a book.

[ericcostello-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Straightforward and clear explanation of how the Madoff Ponzi scheme worked, and why it was not discovered until it had been years in the running. There's also an interesting discussion of the dispute as to how clients would recover (or even if they could recover) their monies. Recommended for a good overview of the scandal.

[sigmundfraud · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust by Diana B. Henriques is the story of Bernie Madoff and his incredible Ponzi scheme. The man comes off as evil, unfeeling and pitiful. Interesting he screwed mainly the rich Jews from the pale for the most part. Gradually his market widened to include many more. The details of the scheme are very well analyzed if a little intricate and boring, but the second half when the book turns toward the personalities involved it becomes much more interesting. I had no intention to read this book because the story was so well covered in the news but it became available for free on my kindle I said give it a shot. And I am glad I did.