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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   31291 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of January 9, 2023

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Last I heard, SBF is alleged to have lost $9 billion of customers' money. Madoff is alleged to have lost $65 billion, in 2008 dollars, or about $90 billion in today's dollars.

Madoff's theft was around $19 billion according to the recent Netflix show.

If I run a Ponzi and I say "the $1 you deposited is worth $100", then the total theft is $1 - not $100. Maybe more depending on opportunity costs, but the $65 billion headline number was always BS.

Madoff's Ponzi was a bigger magnitude but not so much so that it explains the difference. Oh, he only stole $9 billion, that's why there are glowing articles about him in the press... Doesn't make sense.

On the other hand if FTX's malfeasance had been acknowledged earlier it's likely the crypto assets would have been worth notably less, having been propped up the whole fugazi to begin with.

But if the headline number is what is commonly believed, that explains the ostensible conundrum, does it not? If common knowledge is that Madoff stole 10x what SBF did, then doesn't that explain why Madoff is seen as the greater villain, even if the common knowledge is untrue? If no one accepts your premise ("He stole nearly as much money as Bernie Madoff") then of course they aren't going to accept your conclusion.

PS: Note that your own lower figure of $19b is almost $27b today, so your premise is wrong, regardless.

Edit: "@jeroboam has blocked you!" Classy move.

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