At least now he'll spend his life in jail. In March Bernie Madoff, whose epic Ponzi scheme cost investors at least $20 billion, pled guilty to 11 felonies, including securities fraud, wire fraud and perjury. Victims cheered in a Manhattan courtroom as Madoff was sentenced to 150 years behind bars. "I'm sorry," he told them. "I know that doesn't help you." True, but as lawyers scramble to recover some of the billions of dollars that were defrauded from Madoff's clients, the swindled can take some solace in his humiliation. At a public auction Madoff's personal belongings, like golf clubs, watches and a New York Mets jacket with "Madoff" embroidered on the back, pulled in $900,000 for victims. And though Madoff allegedly won his first tussle with another prisoner, at some point Brawlin' Bernie will no doubt get what he deserves.
The Top 10 Everything of 2009
- Top 10 Albums
- Top 10 Animal Stories
- Top 10 Apologies
- Top 10 Art Exhibitions
- Top 10 Awkward Moments
- Top 10 Best Business Deals
- Top 10 Breakups
- Top 10 Buzzwords
- Top 10 Children's Books
- Top 10 Crime Stories
- Top 10 Editorial Cartoons
- Top 10 Facebook Stories
- Top 10 Fashion Faux Pas
- Top 10 Fashion Moments
- Top 10 Feuds
- Top 10 Fiction Books
- Top 10 Fleeting Celebrities
- Top 10 Gadgets
- Top 10 Green Ideas
- Top 10 Heroes
- Top 10 iPhone Apps
- Top 10 Late-Night Jokes
- Top 10 Magazine Covers
- Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs
- Top 10 Movie Performances
- Top 10 Movies
- Top 10 New Species
- Top 10 News Stories
- Top 10 Nonfiction Books
- Top 10 Oddball News Stories
- Top 10 Pariahs
- Top 10 Pictures of the Year
- Top 10 Plays and Musicals
- Top 10 Political Gaffes
- Top 10 Quotes
- Top 10 Religion Stories
- Top 10 Scandals
- Top 10 Scientific Discoveries
- Top 10 Songs
- Top 10 Sports Moments
- Top 10 T-Shirt-Worthy Slogans
- Top 10 TV Ads
- Top 10 TV Episodes
- Top 10 TV Series
- Top 10 Tweets
- Top 10 Underreported Stories
- Top 10 Untruths
- Top 10 Video Games
- Top 10 Viral Videos
- Top 10 Worst Biz Deals
TIME charts the highs and lows of the past year in 50 wide-ranging lists