The 2009 TIME 100 Finalists

2009 Candidates

Brendan McDermid / Reuters / Corbis

Bernie Madoff

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AGE: 70
OCCUPATION: Ponzi schemer
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 0

PRO: Madoff's last name has been a boon for bad-pun headline-writers everywhere. That's about the only good thing we can say about him.

CON: He bilked almost $50 billion through fraudulent investment deals, wiping out bank accounts around the world, crippling charities, and damaging an already vulnerable economy. And if that weren't enough to earn international scorn, he even ripped off Elie Wiesel.

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The 2008 TIME 100

Look back at our fifth annual list of the world's most influential people

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