Nintendo was like an impossibly huge wall. But if Mario was the undisputed king, an underdog was about to declare war. For Japanese game maker Sega, mainly known for its arcade cabinets, the battle was about winning the home console market. Sega's Genesis console and its speedy character, Sonic, hit the market. In the early '80s, sports video games existed, but they didn't really look real. And one visionary entrepreneur had already started tackling the challenge of taking sports from the stadium onto the screen. Electronic Arts kicks off a partnership with football legend John Madden.
In the second episode, we see the stark differences between the modern and pristine operation on the 19th floor of the Lipstick Building and what was transpiring on the relic and shopworn 17th floor, where Madoff was running his investment advisory business and where most of the fraud was orchestrated, and from where Madoff's empire branched into the hedge fund business, which began drawing unwanted scrutiny. In his disposition, Madoff confirms the names of four significant investors, including Jeffry Picower, a shadowy and long-time client, dating back 30 years. Although Madoff never confronted Picower or discussed the matter with him, it was suspected he knew what was going on and, because of this, had the power to torment and extort Madoff while profiting substantially from his Ponzi scheme.
The third episode emphasizes how Madoff's numbers were deemed unrealistic. Despite his competitors' investigations into these impossible figures and subsequent alerts to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency, swayed by Madoff's reputation, disregarded the numerous red flags. Choosing instead to look the other way, they allowed Madoff's operations to continue undeterred.
In the final episode, we hear how employees on the 17th floor were rewarded, and we see Madoff's $65 billion Ponzi scheme quickly collapses as investors begin to withdraw their money during the 2008 Financial Crisis. We see how Madoff's sons attempt to stop their father from writing bonus cheques for long-time investors, faithful employees, and extended family to help cushion the blow. Madoff confesses to the Ponzi scheme, and the FBI arrests him. After pleading guilty, Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in prison. Two years after learning of the Ponzi scheme, his eldest son Mark is found hanging from a pipe, dead of an apparent suicide. His other son dies of lymphoma six years later.
In the early '80s, sports video games existed, but they didn't really look real. And one visionary entrepreneur had already started tackling the challenge of taking sports from the stadium onto the screen. Electronic Arts kicks off a partnership with football legend John Madden.