Elie Wiesel's Life Savings, Charity Lost Millions to Madoff Scheme

Elie Wiesel--the Nobel Prize-winning author of Night, Holocaust survivor, and human rights activist--has lost his life savings to the Ponzi scheme of Bernard Madoff. As well, The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity lost $15.2 million to the same Madoff treachery. The Foundation, which is dedicated to combating "indifference, intolerance and injustice through international dialogues and youth-focused programs," offers a statement on the fraud here. The statement notes that the lost $15.2 million "represented substantially all of the Foundation's assets."

From The New York Times report:

"This was a personal tragedy where we discovered all of a sudden what we had done in 40 years — my books, my lectures, everything — was gone,” said Mr. Wiesel, who shared his story as part of a panel discussion on the Madoff scandal on Thursday.

...  (Wiesel) said he was amazed at the outpouring of support for his charity in the wake of the scandal. “Unsolicited, hundreds of people, literally, hundreds of people we have never known sent us money through the Internet, $5, $18, $100, one even $1,000,” he said.

The Elie Wiesel Foundation will hold a benefit concert on May 26 to raise more money, and Mr. Wiesel has a book, “A Mad Desire to Dance,” coming out soon.

Thanks to Mike Ingels for the link!

Comments

[Stephen]

Madoff will burn in hell and share a prison cell in hell with Adolf Hitler. He stole life savings from widows, charity foundations and many others. What a shame. He disgraced his whole family and his family name for many centuries. He needs to be in a prison right now and not in his luxury apartment.

[Matt]

What a terribly sad day for all those people who have had thier trust betrayed by Bernie Maddoff and others like him.

I semd out my most sincere blessings for all of us who have been taken advantage of by these thieves.I pray for peace and happiness for all of us. I ask
G-D to deal with the criminals and let them understand the real pain they caused.

[Jojo]

That is so hilarious thath the "never again" guy lost his fortune to a JEW who swindled him out of every penny! I was forced to read his tripe in college and only after I witnessed the horrors unfold in Rawanda and especially in the Balkans that I finally understood what he meant: "Never again - to Jews!" Everyone else could go f* themselves in his view. Not one single word from this supposed moral giant about all the people killed since say oh I don't know... 1944? HAH! Whatever you worship you will lose, especially if it is money that you worship!