Ponzi scheme
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Ponzi scheme
Where it comes from
Named after con artist Charles Ponzi (1882–1949), who famously conducted such form of fraud in North America in the 1920s.
noun Ponzi schemes
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A fraudulent scheme where earlier investors are paid with the money taken from new investors, giving the impression that the scheme is a viable investment.
After the presidency, Grant invested almost every penny he had to create a financial brokerage house with a controversial investor named Ferdinand Ward. Ward, a Bernie Madoff of his day, turned it into a Ponzi scheme, and publicly bankrupted Grant.
Similar: Ponzi scam
Translations
Every language
noun illicit money-making scheme
| Español | esquema Ponzi, estafa Ponzi |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 投資詐欺 toushisagi |
| 中文 | 龐氏騙局 /庞氏骗局 Páng-shì piànjú |
| हिन्दी | धोखाधड़ी dhokhādhaṛī |
| Português | esquema Ponzi |
| Français | système de Ponzi, pyramide de Ponzi |
| Deutsch | but see Schneeballsystem, Ponzi-System |
| Italiano | schema Ponzi |
Talk about this word "Ponzi scheme." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ponzi%20scheme. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. Ponzi scheme. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ponzi%20scheme "Ponzi scheme." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ponzi%20scheme.Cite this
@misc{ponzi_scheme_2026,
title = {Ponzi scheme},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ponzi%20scheme},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
