: an investment swindle in which some early investors are paid off with money put up by later ones in order to encourage more and bigger risks
Examples of Ponzi scheme in a Sentence
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Among those affected by his elaborate Ponzi scheme were seven Major League Baseball stars: Greg Maddux, Johnny Damon, Bernie Williams, J.D. Drew, Andruw Jones, Jay Bell and Carlos Peña.
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Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Christine Quinn's Husband's Request for Restraining Order Against Her Denied by Judge as Court Date Looms
A Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Hill involved creating false balance sheets and using fraudulent information to obtain loans.
—Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024
That court record shows Yang is the subject of a criminal investigation in connection with a Ponzi scheme allegedly conducted through her firms: AK Equity Group LLC, AK Global Investing LLC, Xapphire Fund LLC, Xapphire G Fund LLC and Xapphire LLC.
—Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024
The Ponzi scheme was among a number of scams Hill carried out prior to the show.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Bernie Madoff, the Manhattan investment adviser who promised stellar returns to his A-list clients and instead defrauded them of more than $19 billion in history’s largest Ponzi scheme, died in prison in 2021 at age 82.
—Peter Blumberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Fact check: No, Donald Trump was not criminally prosecuted for taking out, repaying loan
In 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history and was sentenced to 150 years in prison.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
In a Ponzi scheme, money provided by new investors is used to pay high returns to early-stage investors to suggest the enterprise is prosperous.
—Lisa Rathke, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Bernie Madoff, who orchestrated a notorious Ponzi scheme that unraveled during the 2008 financial crisis, received a 150-year sentence in 2009.
—J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024
Christine Quinn's Husband's Request for Restraining Order Against Her Denied by Judge as Court Date Looms
A Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Hill involved creating false balance sheets and using fraudulent information to obtain loans.
—Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024
That court record shows Yang is the subject of a criminal investigation in connection with a Ponzi scheme allegedly conducted through her firms: AK Equity Group LLC, AK Global Investing LLC, Xapphire Fund LLC, Xapphire G Fund LLC and Xapphire LLC.
—Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024
The Ponzi scheme was among a number of scams Hill carried out prior to the show.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Bernie Madoff, the Manhattan investment adviser who promised stellar returns to his A-list clients and instead defrauded them of more than $19 billion in history’s largest Ponzi scheme, died in prison in 2021 at age 82.
—Peter Blumberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024
Fact check: No, Donald Trump was not criminally prosecuted for taking out, repaying loan
In 2009, Madoff pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history and was sentenced to 150 years in prison.
—Chris Mueller, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
In a Ponzi scheme, money provided by new investors is used to pay high returns to early-stage investors to suggest the enterprise is prosperous.
—Lisa Rathke, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
Bernie Madoff, who orchestrated a notorious Ponzi scheme that unraveled during the 2008 financial crisis, received a 150-year sentence in 2009.
—J. Edward Moreno, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Ponzi scheme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ponzi%20scheme. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
Ponzi scheme
noun
Pon·zi scheme
ˈpän-zē-ˌskēm 
: an investment swindle in which early investors are paid with sums obtained from later ones in order to create the illusion of profitability
Etymology
Charles A. Ponzi (ca. 1882–1949), Italian-born American swindler
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