Famed lawyer Scott Rothstein turned law into a money making machine (more than it already is). He promised high returns to investors from his supposedly clever manipulations of lucrative settlements like whistle blowing and sexual harassment. Eventually, the plot got too hot to handle and his cover was blown in late 2009. Rothstein then decided to dodge his fate and fled to Morocco, leaving behind a suicide note. However, he was convinced to return and is now serving a 50 year prison term.
The loot – 1.2 billion
Set up in 1991 by Damara Bertges and Hans Gunther Spachtholz, the European King’s club was set up to help the ‘Little People’. Investors would buy a ‘letter’ for 1400 Swiss francs and would double their money in just a year. The groups established a cult like presence and despite boasting a loyal investor base, collapsed after two years. Bertges and Spachtholz were given respective prison terms of 7 and 5 years.
The loot – $1.1 billion