Apology Not Accepted
Talk may never have been cheaper than in the apology made by Bernard Madoff for his record-breaking, life-wrecking Ponzi scheme. "I'm responsible for a great deal of suffering and pain. I understand that," the disgraced stock trader said in June, when he was sentenced to 150 years in prison for his $65 billion swindle. (Madoff also apologized after pleading guilty in March, saying "I cannot adequately express how sorry I am for what I have done.") Among the crowd in the Manhattan courtroom were dozens of Madoff's victims, a category that included retirees, celebrities like Kevin Bacon and nonprofit groups including Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's foundation. At the end of his public statement, the haggard scammer turned to his seething audience and said, "I'm sorry. I know that doesn't help you."