In this comprehensive account of Bernie Madoff’ s epic Ponzi scheme, Catastrophe exposes the real story behind the financial mastermind’ s upstanding faç ade— his confession, his family's involvement, and his unlikely rise and incredible crash. The book defines and explains the whole diabolical debacle, including how Madoff evaded SEC watchdogs and how his far-reaching crime pervaded the world. With first-hand accounts from his victims, the book peels back Madoff’ s persona layer by layer, revealing how he developed his elaborate deceit and how and why he targeted and scammed the world of Jewish philanthropy. Complete with the famous whistle-blower letter to the SEC, the Madoff company mission statement, SEC filings, and a list of victims— from housewives to household names-Catastrophe offers a complete look at the white-collar crime of the century, one that will leave readers astounded in disbelief.