What The Ego Makes Us Do

I would like to understand Bernie Maddoff's motivation for ripping off his Jewish clients, their charities, and the other small investors who trusted him with their life savings?
 
He had all the resources at his disposal to do a legitimate job and make a lot of money yet he chose to run a Ponzi scheme instead. Why?
 
I don't believe that remorse was his motivation when he spilled his guts to his sons and they subsequently turned him in. Nope, he was trying to save his skin, somehow.
 
He was probably very worried by the financial crash on Wall Street which is what prompted some of his big investors to demand their money back. That's when his house of cards started caving in.


He has ruined people's lives. One of his victims, a gentleman in his eighties, is now working at Starbucks for heaven's sake. Happily, the sucker is now in jail, all his assets frozen and his accomplices are being sought.

If Wall Street hadn't crashed because of the rotten paper, I guarantee you, he would most likely still be in business.

 
Technorati Tags: Bernie-Maddoff, ego

It all comes down to what was in his head though. Bernie Maddoff said that things had gone too far for him to stop but that is absolute nonsense. He could have stopped any time he wanted to but, and there's the rub; he didn't want to admit it and look bad or be called a crook. His ego had a hold of him and no way was he going to lose face.