Charles Ponzi The Documentary

[@PBoyle]

Thanks to our growing list of Patreon Sponsors and Channel Members for supporting the channel. www.patreon.com/PatrickBoyleOnFinance Ed, Devon Young, Pavle Obradovic, Erik Van Ekelenburg, Moe Amrane, David O'Connor, Christian Richards, Zak Patterson, Ki Ryu Chan, Pjotr Bekkering, Drew, Ivaylo Kunev, Alex, Robert W Proudfoot, EatEmAll, Michael Boensel, Adrian Phang, pooh shmoo, Ron Hughes, Robert Muller, Andre Michel, Ivan Iliev, Gopaljee Atulya, Milan Tomic, Mark Hooker, Artem Vasenin, P H, Mathews Sebonego, Sebastian, Michal Lacko, Erik Montesinos, Matthew Loos, Az Indragiri, Robert Proudfoot, SK, Aman Bali, Lautaro Parada, Pratap, Deborah Joseph, Robin Sung, Kurt Johnston, Kaushik Vankadkar, Cyrus Yari, and Alexander EF

[@reggie3819]

You make me wish I had studied finance rather than mechanical and material engineering. I love the videos

[@JoshtheFifith]

the story is very interestingly put down with amazing calming music

[@parac0sm0naut26]

Excellent narration. Have you heard of The Drake Fortune scam? If you haven't done an episode on it yet, I highly suggest it.

[@eddiekorkis]

He literally robed Peter to pay paul. The first Pyramid scheme. Or at least the most famous one.

[@FitByTheLake]

@@eddiekorkis Not a pyramid scheme. He even made that clear at the beginning.

[@assumptionisthemotherofall2402]

The saddest part is ....100 years later people are still falling for this scam

[@RichMcc]

i think the biggest difference is , this guy was more of a bad business man rather than a con man

[@BooktownBoy]

Bit coneeeeeeeeeeect!

[@LeeePowers]

Sadder even,is "Ponzi Schemes" can be such named without anyone having to give up 200sq inches of skin.

[@TruckinRoundTv]

Yea like insurance companies of today 🤔

[@RichMcc]

@@TruckinRoundTv yep a totally legal scam

[@patrickhell22]

Rose is the kind of woman every wealthy man could dream of. It's amazing how no matter how much money and gifts Charles wanted to give her, all she ever wanted was just to be with him and not his belongings. Much respect to Rose for being such a lovely lady.

[@godfreyberry1599]

Rose was an absolute saint.

[@HybridParentSupport]

Nice name

[@patrickhell22]

@@HybridParentSupport yours too

[@lynnleigha580]

There are still a few of us left. Just ask my husband 😁

[@EricIrl]

@@lynnleigha580 And Ponzi was a complete fantasist - a trait obviously inherited from his mother. A big dreamer without the ability, knowledge or intelligence to achieve his fantastical schemes.

[@ajax700]

He had a partner that really loved him, poor or rich, even after going to jail many times. He had a treasure most poor and even most rich men never get. I can't think of a greater treasure than true love and good company. So sad he didn't realize. He had already won in life. Best wishes.

[@nicksmith4378]

So true

[@casebycase_904]

Weird time to be positive but okay. I personally think the partner could have stuck around for the perks. Could have been a trashier idiot trying to ride off of Ponzi's little successes. Don't be too naive. It isn't love. It is weird unhealthy bond/ dynamics that can be found commonly when you deal with the legal system and those who break it. A true & healthy love would guide their loved ones towards the right path not in and out of jail repeatedly or let their loved one chase after wealth in a manner that isn't so honorable. But i do agree with you - true love and good company really are the greatest thing a person can achieve.

[@creepersonspeed5490]

​@@casebycase_904who says she didn't try and guide him out?

[@ctdieselnut]

@@creepersonspeed5490 or she could have tried and been unsuccessful. Greed can be a powerful thing. Im guessing she didn't like seeing him go to prison, but It's best not to speculate on this. No one involved is still alive, and unless something specifically about this was documented, we'll never know. End up probably drawing the wrong conclusions. On another note, there is a phenomenon of some women being very attracted to criminals. It even has a term coined for it; hybristophilia. The worse they are(the more media coverage/infamy), the more fan mail they get in prison, some serving life w/o parole get married while inside. Its crazy. Not saying this is what's going on with her, but it may explain an aspect that's otherwise mysterious. See why it's unwise to speculate lol

[@andrewdevine3920]

Yeah, but when Lambo?

[@shahbasharat]

I learned 3 things from this documentary: 1) Charles ponzi was not as bad as Bernie madoff or SBF 2) he had a true love for his wife 3) his mother’s moral character is highly commendable. She secretly revealed her son’s prison history to his would be wife. Now Let’s see what character SBF’s mother demonstrates.

[@sproutsisters5398]

I have a feeling his parents won't speak about it and will have his back behind the scenes as most moms would. Even if they know he screwed people over. They will take a generous viewpoint

[@mattverville9227]

His parents are law professors. They know better than saying anything

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

The Mafioso Codes say... Fogettaboutit..

[@rajatwtf]

She's a political operative....that alone tells us what character she will demonstrate

[@CraigStCyrPlus]

4) Don't use the same 15-second music loop for an hour long documentary. 🥵

[@Tina06019]

It’s nice to know that Ponzi had been so courageous in donating 120 square inches of his skin to a burn victim, a fellow nurse (who was unknown to him) who had been horribly burnt. That act was incredibly generous. I sure hope the skin grafts “took” for her.

[@Γιώργος-ΕυγένιοςΤζωρτζίνης]

​@@je8117He couldn't know how much time he would need to be in hospital. He did have those mental issues, but this skin donation is not easy to do, especially with those time's means. Would YOU donate that skin, even hoping for some kind of benefit? Brave acts need to be commended.

[@Ollie_FiveO]

This should be a movie w/ Leo DiCaprio as Charles Ponzi and Directed by Scorsese

[@nicolemccarty8776]

I agree he would

[@manjsher3094]

No

[@angusmeigh5141]

The Wolf of Wall Street film is a similar story.

[@joekabotz734]

Leo the hypocrite

[@Ollie_FiveO]

@@manjsher3094 yes.

[@BloodRider1914]

This story is perfect for a Greek Tragedy. A man who dreamed so big and had such faith in himself, but whose hubris led him to be undone.

[@jullietmburu9672]

The one who flew too close to the sun ☀️ and his wings fell off..

[@ladyreverie7027]

What a strange, complex and oddly sympathetic person. I had no idea that he was this nuanced and morally grey person. The donating the skin off his back to a stranger thing, a hundred years ago when people were far more likely to die from infection - that is very unusual level of charity. I'm inclined to think he thought at a certain point the business would become profitable and would not defraud people. I feel like Ponzi could have had a very successful and happy life with Rose if he hadn't gotten in over his head.

[@teemuvesala9575]

@@Cper2000 The world isn't black and white like you simpleton think it is. If he was just a regular conman he would have let the stranger just die and not give a crap about it.

[@ThePk7861]

That was a good act

[@tulipalll]

@@Cper2000 He literally gave the flesh from his body to a stranger. You can't spin this

[@AmitSingh-vt6ws]

Ikr, I thought I'd hate him after watching this video, but I'm just confused rn 🤣

[@SaretGnasoh]

@@Cper2000 I repeat what Teemu said. The world isn't black and white like you SIMPLETON think it is.

[@Greg-fs8np]

Patrick should be congratulated for presenting this thoughtful and comprehensive video. Every detail is clearly explained. The characters of all involved including Rose Ponzi and Ponzi himself are compassionately and thoroughly discussed and that offers much rich context that helps the viewer understand what really happened.

[@godwithin]

The fact that he repeatedly lost all his money gambling tells me he is a mathematically and logically a stupid man,but he is a a genius when it comes to people

[@FIRING_BLIND]

Like a backwards Elon Musk

[@bunnerkins]

@@FIRING_BLIND Nah I think it's just a regular elon musk.

[@phelan8385]

​@@bunnerkinsElon is the farthest thing from a genius 😂

[@D3xterJettster]

Sounds like NFT scammers

[@adamabbas1487]

A Michael Scott when it comes to sales.

[@nocodekevin]

Take a drink every time we hear Charles genuinely thought everything was going to work out.

[@JohnSmith-ox3gy]

He really shouldn't have skipped those University maths courses for partying like a degenerate 2020s student.

[@BlackJesus8463]

@@JohnSmith-ox3gy He was a lazy gambler idiot.

[@weareintheendtimes.704]

Or every time he says Charles Ponzi .

[@kevinkoogle7352]

Take a drink each time the music repeats.

[@markquartet1285]

omg yes... lol

[@randyjones3050]

Anyone who literally donates his own skin to save the life of a stranger can't really have an evil heart. It makes you think that in his own mind he didn't think he was defrauding anyone. He was just such a good salesman that even HE believed in his own bullsh*t.

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

Super Liars are like that.

[@filippyknow]

I actually feel sad for him.

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

@@filippyknow I feel sad for all bad people too. My friends call me an idiot for that. LOL.

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

What an idiot will like that dam thieft. Idiots love criminals. They even put excuses for them. Criminals laught at their helpers. Retired Cop.

[@filippyknow]

@@CFITOMAHAWK maybe you are. This is about recognizing the sheer moments of humanity displayed by this guy. I am not saying that he should be treated as innocent for his crimes

[@chris7263]

The fact that his marriage was apparently so functional speaks as well for him as anything else. Obviously she must have been very tolerant and devoted, but he was also presumably not abusive or unfaithful, and you hear so many awful things about how a lot of historical figures treated the women in their lives.... It kind of broke my heart that they divorced in the end.

[@casquinhaS2]

The bar for men is in hell.

[@Nick-z2o]

It seems like people can be bad in one area but great in another.

[@gnuPirate]

I think you are pretty much the king of the one-man production, deeply-researched, financial figures in history documentary. These are just amazing and so fascinating. Great insights Patrick.

[@jaybraithwaite6839]

“But that’s not the stuff Charles was made off”. I really do love the way that Patrick Boyle delivers the dry ice.

[@A_friend_of_Aristotle]

The furniture dealer who shook Ponzi down with his claim of "...owning half of the business" ended up coughing up all of his ill-gotten gains because of the claim. That's poetic justice!

[@Patricia-md2lm]

Ponzi was so wronged.

[@piccalillipit9211]

Yeah I liked that bit

[@artsyhyd]

Also that Boston Post guy who was too spoiled by his father.

[@jurgnobs1308]

@@artsyhyd what did the Boston Post guy do wrong? all he did was correctly call out a massive fraud scheme.

[@redplanet7163]

This was a truly excellent presentation. I only recently discovered your channel. Your intelligence and ability to explain complex subjects in a reasonably simple way is off the charts. I'm in awe.

[@Dima_Lukashenka]

Agree 100% ... Great knowledge with dividends!!! What an amazing documentary.

[@Joaocruz30]

Spot on!

[@cchavezjr7]

The part of his mother hoping the family name would be restored sounds more like an anecdotal story of irony made because the name is now forever branded in infamy.

[@AnkitYadav-td6mg]

Oh the Irony! 😂

[@Garbeaux.]

Not if the mother impressed upon him as a child the importance of restoring the family name and place in society. That would have def shaped his world view.

[@stefaniagobessi8582]

And very similar to (Theranos) Elisabeth Holmes’ desire to restore the wealthy legacy of her family that was lost through generations…

[@cchavezjr7]

@@stefaniagobessi8582 I thought she just wanted to be a techie billionaire like Steve Jobs. Didn't know there was some family history involved. Thanks for the info.

[@monobryn64]

@@stefaniagobessi8582Her father was a VP at Enron!? Talk about walking in your parent’s footsteps…

[@mysideacc2770]

Thanks for the history lesson! I didn't know anything about Ponzi beyond the Ponzi scheme being named after him, but learning more about his past made me think of, to me, an important reason why people shouldn't scam others: you can be a generous and good person, you can be a good son and husband, you could even be the second coming of Christ, but people will only ever remember you as a scumbag scammer and curse your name.

[@duchessstudioband7896]

Amazing story. The best part was his love for his wife, and her love for him, which was eternal. The woman loved him unconditionally. Amazing.

[@newunderthesun7353]

This was the most fair analysis of Ponzi out there, of the five or six I've seen. Since this one came out three other high profile KZbinrs followed up with their own version (they seem to coincidentally cover the same topics as Patrick almost like clockwork), but did not manage to put it together with the same flair or openness as Patrick. Cheers to Patrick, once again.

[@linuxjodi4311]

Mind sharing those other channels, mate..? So I could avoid them altogether.. :)

[@newunderthesun7353]

@@linuxjodi4311 ColdFusion was the most disappointing, since his content is usually very good.

[@KingOfForest22]

@@newunderthesun7353 the problem with ColdFusion is that he covers a very wider range of topics without a really deep understanding of any of them. This is ok for a KZbin channel but it looks dumb compared to the knowledge of a specialist like Patrick discussing topics related to his speciality.

[@anonymous.youtuber]

What a beautiful story. I had a totally wrong mental image of Charles Ponzi. His donating his skin … what an act of heroism.

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

Send money to italians, They are good Ponzi scammers. Believe in me they say. Idiots love to be idiots..

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

@@sternwelten You must be a dummy liberal. Even Hittler did some good things. Idiots love crooks..

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

@@sternwelten Why you like to put excuses for guys that robbed so many innocents that trusted him. Do you like creeps..

[@DrJ-hx7wv]

​@@CFITOMAHAWK you think in very simple terms

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

@@DrJ-hx7wv Simple truths.. Duhhh >>

[@James-hb8qu]

A poor person with a stupid idea is told he has a stupid idea. A rich person with a stupid idea is praised as a visionary.

[@JuT11]

A poor person with a stupid idea is told by a rich person it's a stupid idea, then the rich person steals the stupid idea and is praised as a visionary

[@TessHKM]

What the fuck are you guys talking about

[@ForexToProfits]

The best story of Charles Ponzi I've ever watched! I read the book Charles Ponzi many years ago.

[@timenswijtink]

Woah… that 15 second music clip on repeat for nearly an hour.

[@RobertoBlake]

Get you a girl like Rose… that’s the moral of the story …😭😭😭

[@ElaineFoster101]

But he couldn't keep her. He died alone. ... that's the moral of the story ...

[@wez123123123]

This guy lived his life like a game of monopoly

[@PBoyle]

That is a great line. :)

[@obiedashinobi1322]

Yes indeed

[@zemundico7913]

....and he won...

[@obiedashinobi1322]

@@zemundico7913 indeed power ☝ my Shinobi

[@verdensrike9381]

@@zemundico7913 until he lost.

[@michaelmontana251]

I love how KZbin keeps throwing up ads in my face for hair-brained investment advise schemes.

[@akmzahidulislam2764]

We are now wiser than Ponzi's victims, innit?

[@akmzahidulislam2764]

@Lawrence Weston Ha ha ha, it’s a Cockney slang; meaning 'isn’t it?'. Thanks

[@Killerbee_McTitties]

@@akmzahidulislam2764 not really. we just know how one looks now.

[@tommybuick2209]

Lol it's not just online, my local freeways are swamped with ridiculous billboards of that nature, too-good to be true investment "ideas", diamond ring ads, college ads, Christian ads and other "life-changing" garbage, you name it.

[@bobbrown1522]

YT tailors your ads based on your viewing habits. Interesting...

[@nyiniamako]

This is perhaps the best Ponzi doc I've seem. Well-rounded and quite sympathetic. A lot of other docs portray him as stupid or ignorant or just plain devious. This would make a great film too.

[@dinokknd]

Watched and listened to this in it's entirety today. I love the insight and the story told, as well as the way it was told. Thank you Patrick.

[@Affenhirte]

Fantastic story and story telling, I wasn't planning on watching an hour long docu, but I couldn't stop!

[@lynnleigha580]

Well, it's 2021 and we're still talking about him.. pure genius, he made himself immortal

[@hezekiawhite8207]

Then how come the people never learn.

And we'll be talking about him forever. Greedy and clueless people will remain falling into this 100-year-old trick.

[@tariqquibir5183]

Well yea somehow disgrace also brings immortality, you can tell that to Achilles

[@shawnjavery]

It's only been 100 years, he is far from immortal.

[@incemarketers8168]

Until someone does it bigger and better. #madoff

[@connorfrancis6022]

Great content. A 21st century renaissance man. Hedge fund manager, KZbinr, storyteller, movie producer, etc... the Johnny Sins of finance lol

[@nsocialsnetwork2171]

I took this as biggest love story of Charles & Rose instead, couldn't remember nothing else! Their true love were bigger than anything else! Thank you Patrick for sharing!

[@studebaker4217]

And he did it all without a spreadsheet! Genius.

[@itsmewierd_zach3374]

I really like the clear, slow and very articulate utterances of the narrator. His pacing and voice are so pleasant that you can easily understand all that he is saying. Congrats!

[@bennyblanco9377]

Say what you want about Charles Ponzi but you have to love his entrepreneurial spirit, his vows to his wife, how he never gave up and allow hardships to break him, how he was optimistic and wanted to achieve big instead of being mediocre

[@hezekiawhite8207]

He was materialistic.

[@EssBee60]

Nah. He was a scammer to the core. Not telling his wife his story. Offering ridiculous returns to investors had one purpose. Fleecing them.

[@markuse3472]

The only thing I give C Ponzi credit for is his love and faithfulness for his wife. The rest is pathetic and brainless of you.

[@kinyutaka]

and he would give the skin off his back to help others.

[@robt3407]

The Era of well dressed men seems to have produced the best and finest of them, even the crooks were classy.

[@LEARSIKCIGAM]

conman are never rough spoken, rude or grumpy they always tell you what you want to hear and they make sure to let you know how smart and educated you are for listening to them

[@LEARSIKCIGAM]

@Karen DeGenerous I have done all those things Karen, probably better than you

[@robertmanfredthurrigl9424]

Hah Hah now that is funny!!

[@mackenziedrake]

Fascinating. I have heard of the scheme all my life, but hadn't really thought about the term or how it came to be. Thank you for bringing the character of the people involved to life.

[@richardstork]

Patrick, you should do more stories like this. Music does a great job. I really felt like I was there in the 20s

[@InfiniteEchos]

Forget the shirt ..Ponzi was literally so altruistic he'd give a stranger the skin off his own back

[@factchecker7200]

​Fact Checked : True ✔️

[@chairmanmeow415]

Allow me to worship you

[@ovrjoyd]

Altruistic narcissist?

[@willieduggan3201]

Patrick : this is a superb documentary about Charles Ponzi. You explain Ponzi's life and his endeavours clearly and simply.

[@angelosecchi4053]

This is the most complete and impartial version of the life of Charles Ponzi that I have ever heard. Amedeo Giannini, the founder of Bank of America, deserves an equally well-made video.

[@agritech802]

Patrick, you are a gifted story teller, it's such a pleasure to listen to your videos, thank you!

[@GraceWhip]

You do such a lovely job presenting information in a clear and nuanced way

[@DavidYoung81]

Wow, I watched all of that. Amazingly well told history, thank you! Informative and entertaining.

[@user_1977]

You're an amazing story teller, very few history documentaries that I can watch in one sitting. 😃

[@MrBlaxjax]

Amazing piece of storytelling...and an amazing story too!. I knew not a thing about Charles Ponzi, so I learned a lot. Thank you for making this.

[@loriscott3290]

I think this is very nearly the best documentary I have ever seen. Thank you for all the hard work and time you put into this. It was fantastic!

[@chachisymphony4754]

Thanks Patrick-- this was very well put together with such love and care! Appreciate the amazing story and the way you tell it!

[@ClemensAlive]

I always understood: "Robbing Peter to PayPal" This is a very great video!

[@Maxikings1]

very same, maybe the name comes from there! :)

[@ipmac8075]

Lol “PayPal” very clever

[@shafeekmks]

wow that was smart!!

[@Youtubecensoredmyusername]

PayPal stole 300 dollars from me

[@kronosblade3002]

@@KZbincensoredmyusername can u explain how? Please

[@hyperqprime]

Excellent video. I've never heard this story before. The most valuable lesson I've found in this story is find a woman like Rose and give her what she wants. Thank you.

[@hungphutr]

You deserve more attention than this! Thanks for sharing

[@scottcharette1744]

Excellent portrayal of Ponzi’s story - well done!

[@petefrosty5467]

This is one of the best and most entertaining documentaries I have watched on KZbin. I wish you would make more like this.

[@CaseWithFox]

Just found your channel and honestly this is GOLD. Wish I could have a professor like you in college

[@PBoyle]

Happy to help!

[@christianlacroix5430]

Why is that, can't you understand what you read in the bibliography ?

[@ipredictariot6371]

@@christianlacroix5430 as much some people (myself included) love reading, it is a greater investment of time... and the more you read the greater the sense of the unknown and the more insatiable the appetite for knowledge... a pyramid scheme of knowledge of sorts to hopelessly sedate escalating cravings! When a well-presented story on the topic will meet a deeper psychological need within a more finite period of time, while also delivering the knowledge you initially sought.

[@johnanon658]

No op, all the professors must be jewish because muh hollow cost

[@Wa7edmenalnass]

This is well made, well written, informative and entertaining. One day this film will be a classic.

[@janegoodall1837]

Except he got a bunch of points wrong. His family sent Charles to live with his in the states because they were sick of his STEALING. He got fired from the Canadian bank for draining the account of a women over time. He WAS illegally smuggling immigrants across the boarder not “helping” them. Ponzi deserves to be remembered as a sociopath, not an everyman hero like this video portrays. There are also accounts of him getting fired from his initial small time jobs for theft as well. I guess thats what it takes to be remembered. TAKE, and screw everyone else.

[@mahan.javaheri]

You will reach 300,000+ subs by the end of 2021. The content is great, presentation is great, storytelling is great. Keep going man.

[@ScottAllenFinance]

79k left to go with 6 days left in the year. I believe in Patrick and think his content is uniquely amazing, but I'm not buying calls on this bet.... nor puts... iron butterfly it is! Seriously though, I was really impressed by this video. I wonder how many tens of hours of work this took to make. A ~10 minute KZbin video takes me a couple hours to produce so I really can't imagine how much work went into this. Great job, Patrick! Cheers, Mahan!

[@davianci]

Patrick, thank you for a great documentary. I really appreciated the flow, the angles and the narration. The story was very interesting too.

[@benjaminblackwood413]

Recently discovered your channel and just wanted to say how well done your content truly is! This was an incredibly interesting story, and I agree with others that I did not know how morally grey Ponzi was as an individual through his life.

[@Aurora_Tom_Renton]

How they don't make this into a movie is baffling

[@rudeonestar]

because half the west still use pozi schemes (in various guises) to make money. they dont want the sheep getting clued up now do they ?!?!

[@aliterogasolini6401]

@@rudeonestar You are quite right no one wants it shown but it would be a smash hit, I would certainly love such a movie.

[@Karrthus]

Or even a movie of Bernie Madoff who conducted the biggest Ponzi scheme in history.

[@coreyjackson05012]

@@Karrthus they made a movie about Madoff called the Wizard of Lies starring Robert Deniro

[@Karrthus]

Thanks, I'll look it up.

[@andrewkumra1098]

Knowing what a Ponzi Scheme is but not knowing the history. I just can't believe that a movie hasn't been made about this man and his story. Although dishonest nonetheless a remarkable man.

[@misterx6276]

I only knew the very basics so this video taught me a lot.

[@user-ys4og2vv8k]

The one who launched Bitcoin studied the Ponzi Scheme well, he learned a lot from it, especially about the psychological motives of the masses who maintained the scheme...

[@adrianjanssens7116]

Patrick you have a full and convincing voice. The repetetive background music is not required and somewhat annoying. Please reconsider this option. Thank you and cheers from Canada.

[@sdk9573]

Captivating story that was well delivered Patrick! The one insight into Ponzi's personality that I've gathered is that he seemed to be terribly impacted by people's opinions on him and seemed to be a people pleaser, which doesn't end well for many.

[@yevocpon]

The most impressive thing here is Rose's devotion to Ponzi.

[@miketemple7686]

Two quick thoughts about Ponzi. One, he lived the wealthy lifestyle he truly wanted; and two, his true treasure that he had, and lost as well, was his loving wife Rose.

It's funny how what he believed is similar to many "start ups" nowadays: first, they want to gain traction, so to develop a way to make a profit. The second step is definitely not the easy one... This video is a piece of art. Well done. 295 people were watching this on mute, it's the only reason...

[@TimBryan]

The difference is only specific kinds of investors (not the average person) are allowed to invest in startups. Basically you have to be able to prove you’re quite alright with losing your shirt on a hair-brained scheme before you can legitimately invest in startups. Ponzi was marketing to the average Joe, and people were dumping their life savings into his company, without being well educated on the risks.

[@chrispl557]

Excellent documentary. Thank you for putting so much effort into this.

[@rhetleonard2968]

Thanks for producing this account of the man behind the well known name. What a character!

[@saraho9568]

Good job for not glazing over his upbringing. I believe the pressure was on him from a young age to be successful. Children have outright killed or disappeared from the pressure of trying to achieve success. Or what their parents perceive as being successful. Theft is far less harmful, imo.

[@SudrianTales]

Given the sheer amount of ruin he brought to others, murder might've been a less terrible option.

[@bluetwister7739]

Great documentary. Very well produced. Enjoyed this thoroughly. Thank you for making it :)

[@mduduzigama5534]

One of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. Why can’t teachers teach history like this? 😂😂

[@adamofblastworks1517]

It takes a lot of effort to make *one* of these. They don't have enough time to make more than maybe one of these over a year, on top of grading things, making new homework and class work, making lesson plans, teaching every school day, etc. They have to maintain a life outside of that too.

[@FitByTheLake]

@@adamofblastworks1517 True. They can show this doc though.

[@hezekiawhite8207]

Learn it and teach your own children.

[@hugokatz]

Yeah but he didn't put an Amazon link for the Charles Ponzi hat.

[@nhlanhlanene4847]

Dude! Ngendlela esengiyithanda ngakhona history, I often regret taking it at school... But then remember how boring history was at school. 🤣🤣

[@C_R_O_M________]

That's an amazing story. What's more amazing is the fact that even though the man had total happiness within his grasp in the form of a loving and prudent wife with whom he was equally in love (a VERY rare occurrence), his own inferiority complex and visions of grandeur, pushed him towards risky and shady business. A very interesting case study.

[@erloriel]

What an absolutely excellent presentation! I like your regular videos a lot, but you obviously also have a real talent as a compelling and interesting narrator.

[@1928zxcv]

here in my barn, just bought this new Locomobile here, fun to drive up here towards Boston harbor, but you know what i like more than materialistic things? Schemes.

[@theveganvillainess]

They should teach this stuff in high school so that people don't keep getting ripped off, especially young people.

[@janedoe5048]

Young people? Last I read, it was elderly people who get taken and good luck getting through to them.

[@astoica1]

It’s illegal.

[@hezekiawhite8207]

No parents and family need to learn and teach it at home remember it starts at home.

[@hezekiawhite8207]

And the people allow it.

[@Malick_ibn_dinar]

People will still get rip off because when are driven by greed

[@TheMelody55]

'It was the similar time of the cryptocurrency mania of the late twentieth tens'. You just predicted history. Really nice documentary. Thanks.

[@kelsonlopez1583]

this was an absolutely beautiful and insightful documentary. better than most movies. what a great story! it has everything even a love story. thank you for making this great video! I learned a lot.

[@NYONAMATENDE]

A genius demeanor I must say. Must have been a kind and honest soul too misled by the insatiable appetite to make money, which was engrained in him from early childhood. Refusing to flee even when he had all the money and no one suspecting, receiving early releases for good behavior, taking a fall for his bosses, donating his skin, and the undying love they had with his wife points to mostly a well-meaning man.

[@Maxikings1]

Ponzi was smart but his fatal failure in the whole story was that he was a gambbler and this is why he couldent run! He had to gamble until the end. And like all gamblers this is an addiction.

[@jondoe406]

Your comment puts so much of his life in perspective. No matter how much he'd won, he'd gamble until it was gone.

[@desertfox432]

This is so well done. Thanks for putting this together.

[@Paul-zu6fj]

What a fascinating story. I am sorry but overall I cannot help but like and really respect this guy. He never gave up, faced up to adversity and showed huge compassion to others - especially donating his skin to a complete stranger!! His worst fault was that he deluded himself into believing he actually could make the scheme work. I had heard of a ponzi scheme before, but never knew it was named after a real person!! I agree with the previous post that it would make a cracking film. Thanks tobtge producer of this for all thd hard work gone into making it.

[@octavioavila6548]

This was beautiful. Could totally be a movie. He is a very complex character. Could be a very relatable protagonist

[@sidhusandevamanoharan9536]

The background track makes this documentary so much better . Thanks :)

[@crisprtalk6963]

One of the best documentaries on KZbin!! Well done!

[@Blog4Justice]

Terrific documentary. 👍🇬🇧

[@Ollie_FiveO]

I probably shouldn’t have started watching this before beginning my workday. This is really good.

[@robertplatte5700]

this is one of the reasons sick days were invented

[@karlachilders1145]

New subscriber here Patrick. I’ve watched several documentaries over the years about Charles Ponzi. This was the most informative, interesting and beautifully done documentaries on the man and his life that I’ve seen to date. Most documentaries covers just the scam and the surrounding events. I’m always interested in the backstory/childhood. I believe peoples beginning in life absolutely shapes their future. Whether good or bad. So thank you for the deeper dive into Charles’s growing up years and his relationships with his mother and family of origin. And also featuring Rose. His marriage was an integral part of his story overall and should not be ignored. As so many other documentaries only mentioned it as a footnote. I appreciate that you brought her to life to us in such a way that we feel like we actually knew her. Or at least felt connected to her as the flawed human beings we all are. This was so well done!! BRAVO PATRICK!

[@robertrosenfield2363]

Great documentary! Very informative, comprehensive & articulation. Thanks for sharing!

[@epictetus-nicopolis]

Perfect storytelling. Wonderful accent. Thanks Patrick for bringing great fun and educational content.

[@maxdakka7973]

How come nobody is discussing the fact that this man let his flesh be cut out, suffer in pain for months, and willingly live the rest of his life with disfigurement so he can save a total stranger, all the while forgoing the biggest business opportunity of his life at the time? That is one of the most incredible acts of heroism I have ever heard.

[@aaronmarko]

Probably because he ruined a bunch of people's lives with his swindling.

[@maxdakka7973]

@@aaronmarko Aye, he did. Still I see Patrick's point that he probably didn't know what he was getting himself into. Today we would see such schemes are obviously fraudulent because we have seen it so many times and know that people intentionally create them to steal. But this entire concept of chaining people to raise public funds was a likely a fluke innovation at his time (I mean I can see how economic and financial structures were organized in pre-industrial societies to make schemes like this impossible). Just you and I probably never saw the subprime mortgage crisis until it happened, it's possible Ponzi himself had no idea how out of control this can get. Complex systems like this always seem to baffle everyone until it blows up and force us to stare and analyze the wreckage.

[@hamnchee]

The back skin thing actually strikes me as a combo charity/self sabotage. In the back (no pun intended) of his mind, he knew he couldn't grift his way through building an actual utility company.

[@johnpersechini4951]

@@maxdakka7973 you mean like nobody would believe FTX was legit. People will continued to get scammed because of greed and nativity.

[@enlightenedwarrior7119]

Lesson learned. Be a Paul and get paid don't be a Peter and get robbed

[@rexterrocks]

Don't be either is the lesson. Paul is benefiting from Peter getting robbed. I don't think Peter or Paul should invest in get rich quick schemes :-)

[@MegaPunisher777]

@@rexterrocks Paul himself doesn't like this idea? 😁

You start as Peter if lucky may end up a Paul.

[@Bystander333]

Commenting three years after publication, but the amount of editing and research that went into this should leave it as a hardened gem of KZbin history!

[@dabijaman10]

This was very interesting and detailed. Wish there would be more of these for the remaining partot schemers afterwards. Really great delivery, narration and montage overall.

[@ntnrocket1]

It's funny to think of Ponzi vs Madoff. Madoff's investment fund only promised a 1 percent per month gain, no matter what. Ponzi promised to double the money (about 33 percent per month) in 3 months.

[@joelwillems4081]

What drew people into Madoff's scheme wasn't the high rates of return, I made higher than that most years of the 2010s, but the regularity. When the market was in recession, he was still claiming to make 1% every month.

[@andybaldman]

That guy Madoff with a lot of money.

[@jag5798]

What’s crazy, is that I have friends who still fall for 💩 like this. As my grandfather used to say “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is”

[@NP-iy1zu]

Bro, everyone's grandfather says shit like that. Your grand pappy isn't special.

[@BillyLapTop]

Excellent presentation! Great backstory and timeline. History lesson at its best.

[@babaganouche9605]

New to your channel and I am really grateful. I am very cynical of finance, but needed an honest place to learn more for my benefit. I am enjoying your content because you make something I otherwise find dull or scammy interesting.