CalendarAdvertiseDistributionArchiveShopAboutContact
Close
Best of Erie 2018
News & Politics
Events
Music
Arts & Culture
Opinion
Food & Drink
Issues Archive
Web Only
Events Calendar
Advertise
More
Business
Community
Environment
Erie at Large
Features
Film
From the Editors
Jen Sorensen Cartoons
Just Toyin' Witcha
Music Reviews
Sports
Theater
Distribution Locations
About Us
Contact Us
Shop
Issue Archives
Share:
BloggERy

Global Summit: Harry Markopolos

Tonight's Global Summit finale brings Erie native Harry Markopolos to the podium -- the man who unveiled the Madoff scam years before the feds prosecuted the financier.

by Jay Stevens
View ProfileFacebookTwitterGoogle+RSS Feed
November 15, 2013 at 9:45 AM
Harry Markopolos, during his Erie days

The whirlwind week for the Jefferson Educational Society comes to a close tonight with the Global Summit's Thomas B. Hagen Dignitas Award winner, Harry Markopolos. That award goes to an Erie citizen "who has made a significant contribution to the vitality of American democracy."

Who: Harry Markopolos

What: "The Eight Year Undercover Campaign to Expose Bernie Madoff"

Why: Markopolos was working as a portfolio manager at a Boston-based securities firm when he figured out that Bernie Madoff was running a multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme, and he promptly alerted the SEC. That was 2000. It wasn't until 2008 that the feds investigated and prosecuted Madoff -- and that was only after one of Madoff's sons ratted him out.

In short, the dude's a kind of modern-day Cassandra. Which reminds me of the line in the poem by Robinson Jeffers:

Truly men hate the truth, they'd liefer
Meet a tiger in the road.

Bonus Why: Markpolos wrote a book about his investigation of Madoff, called "No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller."

Obligatory link to The Daily Show: Yes, Markopolos appeared on Jon Stewart -- in which he eviscerates the SEC.

Erie stuff: Markopolos went to Cathedral Prep during his Erie days. Later he worked for Makefield Securites in the city, which was part-owned by his father.

harry markopoloswall streetbernie madoffjeshigh finance

Featured Events

Today Tomorrow This Weekend

Super Somar Palooza

Dance
Feb. 23rd, 7 PM

Jersey Boys

Theater
Feb. 23rd, 8 PM

Cruisin'

Music
Feb. 23rd, 9:30 PM

Personal Blend

Music
Feb. 23rd, 10 PM

Erie's Best Coffee

Food & Drink
Feb. 24th, 10 AM

Submit Your Event   View Calendar

Reading the Future
Erie Reader: Vol. 9, No. 4
View Past Issues
In This Issue

Popular This Week

Flip for Flip Cafe

Tracing Erie's History of Redlining

More Than Waking Up: Erie's Best Coffee

"Listen Together": Spotify's Coolest New Feature

Celebration of Music in Honor of Black History Month

Related Articles

Jefferson Educational Society Names New President

by Erie Reader Author6/23/2017, 3:49 PM
Dr. Ferki Ferati will succeed Dr. William P. Gary as the head of Erie's think tank

Jen Sorensen Cartoons: April 26, 2017

by Jen Sorensen4/26/2017, 9:45 AM
Deficit Memories

Tiger Maple String Band is spending St. Patrick's at Sprague's

by Ryan Smith3/17/2017, 5:04 AM
DD ... check. Go get some of your Patty's on at Sprague Farm and Brew Works!

Looking for a scary good time?

by Ryan Smith10/31/2016, 12:42 PM
Get your Halloween Night fright on at Ghost Lake.

Shining on the last night of Night Lights

by Ryan Smith8/27/2016, 12:00 PM
A quick Q-and-A with one of the festival's mainstay favorites: Aqueous

Shining (even more) on Night Lights Music Festival

by Ryan Smith8/26/2016, 3:04 PM
A quick Q-and-A with one of the festival's amazing performers: Tyler Smilo of Daybreak Radio
© 2019 Great Lakes Online Media
1001 State Street  //  Erie, PA 16501
Terms of Use Privacy Policy