Madoff victims receive new $355.8 million payout

Latest reimbursement brings total money recovered from infamous ponzi scheme to $10.5 billion

Former financier Bernard Madoff exits Federal Court in Manhattan, New York on March 10, 2009. (AP Photo/David Karp)
Former financier Bernard Madoff exits Federal Court in Manhattan, New York on March 10, 2009. (AP Photo/David Karp)

Victims of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme will receive another $355.8 million, bringing the total recovered to over $10.5 billion, with more than $7.2 billion paid out.

On Monday, trustee Irving Picard said the payout which began last week, the fifth such payout, means that slightly over half of allowable claims have been paid in full. The payouts ranged from $431 to $57.1 million, with the average being $330,000, the Associated Press reported.

Madoff victims lost about $17.5 billion of principal in the scheme.

Picard said everyone with an allowable claim of less than $976,000 has been fully paid.

He has filed more than 1,000 lawsuits against investment funds called “feeder funds” and former customers who took out more from Madoff’s firm than they put in, Reuters reported.

Madoff, 76, is serving a 150-year sentence at the medium-security federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, for a scheme believed to be the largest of its kind in US history. He pleaded guilty in March 2009.

The scheme affected a disproportionate number of Jewish individuals and organizations.

Most Popular
read more:
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.