As unfortunate and sad as it is for Leibowitz (and I certainly feel for her...) many people have fallen into similar situations (though, for most people, on a much smaller scale) due to the crazy economic roller-coaster of today!
Scammers that run off with $50B of clients money don't help matters either. The victims I feel the most sorry for are those who didn't have a lot of money to begin with, and at the end of the day, are now penniless.
The same scammer, BM, also stole from charities whose mandate was to help the neediest members of society and it is these folks who will suffer the most!
I think there are going to be more challenges coming down the turnpike for people of all economic status and walks of life... especially, when inflation kicks in due to bailouts to industry.
Annie, on the other hand, may still have a chance of rebuilding her financial picture because of her talent and other assets. However, some of the above mentioned folks (the elderly, the infirmed, etc have very little chance of rebuilding what they've lost through this thief.
So, Richard's comment is well taken...
[Btw, we also have someone in Eastern Canada who has been accused of absconding $50,000,000 of clients moneys. So, even though it's only a small percentage of the amount BM stole... it still represents a lifetime of saving by some of these investors.]
Cheers
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