More Bernie Madoff Revelations
5:48 PM January 5, 2009
The man responsible for scamming investors out of $50 billion dollars was a strange guy, according to his former office manager in London.
Julia Fenwick tells the Daily Mail:
'Bernie is the most anally retentive person I have ever met.
'Everything was always so controlled. The London office had to resemble as closely as possible the New York office – grey walls, grey carpets, black trim, black cupboards. Everything was grey and black.
'On the occasions he visited London, we'd spend days before his arrival levelling the blinds, making sure the computer screens were an identical height, lining every picture up straight. No paper was allowed on the desks.
'We'd use black marker pens to touch up the skirting boards and the doors. Anything that looked as if it had a mark or scratch on it, we'd have to retouch. Things like that would drive him nuts.'
'Everything was always so controlled. The London office had to resemble as closely as possible the New York office – grey walls, grey carpets, black trim, black cupboards. Everything was grey and black.
'On the occasions he visited London, we'd spend days before his arrival levelling the blinds, making sure the computer screens were an identical height, lining every picture up straight. No paper was allowed on the desks.
'We'd use black marker pens to touch up the skirting boards and the doors. Anything that looked as if it had a mark or scratch on it, we'd have to retouch. Things like that would drive him nuts.'
Okay, he was obsessive... but he loved spending money. Just last March, Madoff bought himself a $40 million dollar private jet.
More from the office manager:
During his two or three visits a year, Madoff would often take advantage of his office's proximity to Savile Row by asking his tailors, Kilgour, to see him in the boardroom.
And while he was being measured up, his wife would pass her time sitting at a desk 'knitting bootees for one of her grandchildren'.
While in London, Madoff always stayed at the Lanesborough Hotel, one of the most expensive in the world, where suites cost up to £8,000 a night and guests are provided with a butler who is on call 24 hours a day throughout their stay. 'There is still a trunk full of his clothes there,' said Mrs Fenwick.
'They stored it for him and would clean and press the clothes and hang them in his suite in time for his arrival, as though he had a wardrobe there.' When striking deals, Madoff would sometimes puff on one of his favourite cigars, a Davidoff.
And while he was being measured up, his wife would pass her time sitting at a desk 'knitting bootees for one of her grandchildren'.
While in London, Madoff always stayed at the Lanesborough Hotel, one of the most expensive in the world, where suites cost up to £8,000 a night and guests are provided with a butler who is on call 24 hours a day throughout their stay. 'There is still a trunk full of his clothes there,' said Mrs Fenwick.
'They stored it for him and would clean and press the clothes and hang them in his suite in time for his arrival, as though he had a wardrobe there.' When striking deals, Madoff would sometimes puff on one of his favourite cigars, a Davidoff.
He sure lived a nice life, thanks to the life savings of so many people.
Posted by Eric Spillman | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
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I can't believe there are people defending this snake. He played on people's emotions, promising a life of security and luxury. Saying that his victims were greedy is hypocritical. We would all love an opportunity to set ourselves and our families up for the future. Making money by investing is risky, but can pay off huge. These were innocent people that were scammed by Madoff.
Posted by: Ares | May 15, 2009 at 08:47 AM
Wipe away the image of Bernie.
He appeared to be on a roll and wound up being printed on a roll.
Looks like he really crapped out.
www.justtoiletpaper.com
Posted by: m. POLISH | January 28, 2009 at 04:12 AM
Bernie Madoff With My Money....Bernie Madoff Like a Bandit....T Shirts...Two for a quarter
Posted by: rockymanly | January 14, 2009 at 10:26 PM
Wow, I can't believe no one cared about the Bernie Madoff situation.
He's one of the most infamous villains of our time. He stole from widows, who investing their life's savings with him. Now some of them are destitute, not knowing where to turn.
And he stole from organizations that would benefit children. How low can a human being go?
Posted by: jozielee | January 07, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Last night I pictured in my mind the image of Madoff's wife knitting items for the grandchildren while Madoff navigated through his day. Hahaha. Reminiscent of Madame Defarge, who knit while the French aristocracy lost THEIR heads. What irony.
TALE OF TWO CITIES/DEFARGE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_Defarge
Posted by: jozielee | January 06, 2009 at 11:19 AM
His preferences show a lavish, expensive, and perhaps color-blind, lifestyle, hardly strange or eccentric. Would that we could all experience at least one weekend of his lifestyle in our lifetime, but not at the expense of others.
His idiosyncrasies probably came out of his need to control everything around him. That way he felt everything was under his thumb.
When his castle disintegrated I wonder if he detected a crack in the wall like a nick on his shoe, or a white mark on a black border that his staff missed, or a stain on his dinner napkin.
On another note, I read today that his staff is still being paid. Considering he made money off residuals from other people's money, why aren't his company assets frozen?
Posted by: jozielee | January 05, 2009 at 10:54 PM