Last year, the U.S. Federal Marshalls held an auction selling off Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff’s glitzy, glamourous, and ill-gotten goods. Last week, the feds held another auction, this time selling off Bernie’s more mundane items. Prior to last week’s auction, the media was offered a glimpse of the items, and The Wallstreet Journal was there to chronicle what have become intimate glimpses into a man very few people understand. According to reporter Juliet Chung, among the items are Bernie’s underchunders, CDs (Jimmy Buffett or Rod Stewart, anyone?), black velveteen slippers monogrammed with “BLM”, books including one penned by yogi-doc Dean Ornish called Eat More, Weigh Less, and…
…Bernie’s yoga mat…
In March 2009, Bernie Madoff pled guilty to 11 counts of federal crimes including securities fraud, money laundering, and perjury. Yesterday, The New York Times reported that last week’s auction netted a cool $2 million dollars, which seems like a drop in the bucket considering the $10-20 billion dollar Ponzi scheme he ran. However, it most certainly means something to the beneficiaries of the auction. That’s right, Bernie’s goods – undies and all – were auctioned off to benefit his victims, who included public school teachers to small town pension funds, many of whom lost their life savings. Bernie Madoff is currently serving 150 years in federal prison.
This story always makes me so sad.
yogi, interrupted. 