: an investment swindle in which some early investors are paid off with money put up by later ones in order to encourage more and bigger risks
Examples of Ponzi scheme in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bernie Madoff, the Manhattan investment adviser who promised stellar returns to his A-list clients and instead defrauded them of more than $19 billion in history’s largest Ponzi scheme, died in prison in 2021 at age 82.
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Peter Blumberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Fact check: No, Donald Trump was not criminally prosecuted for taking out, repaying loan
In 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history and was sentenced to 150 years in prison.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
In a Ponzi scheme, money provided by new investors is used to pay high returns to early-stage investors to suggest the enterprise is prosperous.
—Lisa Rathke, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Bernie Madoff, who orchestrated a notorious Ponzi scheme that unraveled during the 2008 financial crisis, received a 150-year sentence in 2009.
—J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Now, the investors fear they've been swindled as part of alleged Ponzi scheme.
—Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Feb. 2024
Picower was married to the late investor Jeffry Picower, who got embroiled in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal.
—Alex Daniels Of The Chronicle Of Philanthropy, Chronicle Of Philanthropy, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024
Show more sharing options Gina Champion-Cain, who went to prison three years ago for masterminding San Diego’s single largest Ponzi scheme, does not deserve a reduction in her 15-year sentence, a federal district court judge ruled on Monday.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024
James' office alleges that Artamonov used his HBS network to court investors in a Ponzi scheme that defrauded at least 29 people, many of whom were connected to HBS, of at least $2.9 million in funds.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024
Peter Blumberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Fact check: No, Donald Trump was not criminally prosecuted for taking out, repaying loan
In 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history and was sentenced to 150 years in prison.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
In a Ponzi scheme, money provided by new investors is used to pay high returns to early-stage investors to suggest the enterprise is prosperous.
—Lisa Rathke, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Bernie Madoff, who orchestrated a notorious Ponzi scheme that unraveled during the 2008 financial crisis, received a 150-year sentence in 2009.
—J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Now, the investors fear they've been swindled as part of alleged Ponzi scheme.
—Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Feb. 2024
Picower was married to the late investor Jeffry Picower, who got embroiled in the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal.
—Alex Daniels Of The Chronicle Of Philanthropy, Chronicle Of Philanthropy, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024
Show more sharing options Gina Champion-Cain, who went to prison three years ago for masterminding San Diego’s single largest Ponzi scheme, does not deserve a reduction in her 15-year sentence, a federal district court judge ruled on Monday.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024
James' office alleges that Artamonov used his HBS network to court investors in a Ponzi scheme that defrauded at least 29 people, many of whom were connected to HBS, of at least $2.9 million in funds.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024
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“Ponzi scheme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ponzi%20scheme. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
Ponzi scheme
noun
Pon·zi scheme
ˈpän-zē-ˌskēm 
: an investment swindle in which early investors are paid with sums obtained from later ones in order to create the illusion of profitability
Etymology
Charles A. Ponzi (ca. 1882–1949), Italian-born American swindler
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