Justice Department Completes $4.3 Billion Recovery for Madoff Victims

The final $131.4 million payout brings restitution to nearly 94% of losses for over 40,000 victims of history’s largest Ponzi scheme.

The U.S. Department of Justice has concluded its victim compensation efforts related to Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme with a final $131.4 million distribution.
Over 40,000 victims in 127 countries have received a total of $4.3 billion, achieving nearly 94% recovery of their documented losses.
Most victims were small investors, with the majority losing less than $500,000 in Madoff's decades-long fraudulent operation.
The funds were recovered through civil forfeitures, including $2.2 billion from the estate of investor Jeffry Picower and $1.7 billion from a settlement with JPMorgan Chase.
Bernie Madoff, sentenced in 2009 to 150 years in prison, ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history, defrauding clients of billions before his arrest in 2008.