Books like Ponzi's Scheme by Mitchell Zuckoff

You've heard of the Ponzi scheme, but did you know its mastermind was a swindler with noble intentions? In Mitchell Zuckoff's thrilling account of Charles Ponzi, the first nonfiction account of the notorious swindler, we meet the dapper, charming conman who launched the most successful scheme of financial alchemy in modern history. Ponzi's motives were not greed but love, as he struggled his whole life to attain great wealth and believed he could have made good on his investment promises if only he'd had enough time. This is a tale of immigrant life and the dream of success, told through the eyes of the man who once promised to double investors' money in just three months, but instead brought an entire era of prosperity to its knees. The story of Ponzi is an American classic, a blend of immigrant life and the relentless pursuit of wealth, and a deeply moving portrayal of a man who rose to the top of the New York Stock Exchange, but ended up crashing down to the bottom of the financial abyss.

First publish date: March 8, 2005