From Enron to Bernie Madoff to FTX, This Oil Tycoon Lost Billions to Bad Investments and Ponzi Schemes贝尔弗家族加入那些失去大的FTX collapse, including Tom Brady and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

BySam Silverman

Photo by Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Between theEnroncollapse,Bernie Madoff's Ponzi Scheme, and now the fallout ofFTX, New York oil tycoon Robert Belfer has lost billions to bad investments and shifty businesses.

Belfer, 87, once the heir to bankrupt gas company Enron, is now amongst those who lost big after the crash of the FTX crypto exchange in November, which lost billions in customer funds and led to the arrest of founderSam Bankman-Friedfor orchestrating "one of the biggest financial frauds in American history," according to prosecutors.

According to court documents obtained by theFinancial Times, two firms linked to the Belfer family held shares in FTX and FTX US and had a combined stake of $34.5 million. The Belfer family is joined by Tom Brady, Robert Kraft,Kevin O'Leary, and Gisele Bundchenwho also lost millions after investing in the now-collapsed exchange.

However, this isn't the first time the Belfer family has been tied up in bad business. According to the outlet, the family invested with Bernie Madoff, but they withdrew $28 million from the fund before thePonzi Scheme implodedin the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. It's unclear if their withdrawal accounted for their entire investment.

But even before falling prey to Madoff, who died in prison while serving a 150-year sentence for fraud, the family business took another big hit.

The Belfer family was known for starting Belco Petroleum Corp., which later became Enron, and once generated $111 billion in revenue. That was until the companyfiled for bankruptcy in 2001after it was discovered that employees used illegal practices to hide debts and lie to investors. The Belfer family was the largest Enron stakeholder with $2 billion in equity.

It's unclear how much the family is worth today.

Sam Silverman

Entrepreneur Staff

Content Strategy Editor

Sam Silverman is a content strategy editor at Entrepreneur Media. She specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), and her work can be found inThe US Sun,Nicki Swift,In Touch Weekly,Life & StyleandHealth. She writes for our news team with a focus on investigating scandals. Her coverage and expertise span from business news, entrepreneurship, technology, and true crime, to the latest in entertainment and TV news. Sam is a graduate of Lehigh University and currently resides in NYC.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

Katy Perry Is Fighting the Founder of 1-800-Flowers for a $15 Million California Mansion He Doesn't Want to Sell Her

The eight-bedroom, 11-bathroom estate sits on nearly nine acres in the Santa Ynez foothills in Montecito.

Employee Experience & Recruiting

78% of Employers Are Using Remote Work Tools to Spy on You. Here's a More Effective (and Ethical) Approach to Tracking Employee Productivity.

Research and common sense show that the practice does far more harm than good.

Business News

'Please Fix This': Elon Musk Frantically Emails Employees During Livestream Glitch

Musk attempted to livestream his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Leadership

A Guide to Effective Crisis Leadership — Key Steps to Lead Your Team Through Turbulent Times

The essential strategies and skills required to be a successful crisis leader and guide your organization through difficult times.

Business News

Costco Isn't Facing Devastating Surges in Theft Like Target and Walmart — and the Reason Is Very Simple

The retailer's CFO revealed its strategy during a fourth-quarter-earnings call.

Money & Finance

Want to Become a Millionaire? Follow Warren Buffett's 4 Rules.

企业家是不能过度指雷竞技手机版望太多a company exit for their eventual 'win.' Do this instead.