Thread by @JimOCampbell

As the news hits this morning of Bernie Madoff's death, I'm reflecting on my unique experience directly communicating with him from prison over the last few years of his life. Here's some of the biggest insights I gained about his scheme, his psyche, and more: 1/

While writing my book, Madoff and I exchanged over 400 pages of handwritten letters and emails between us. In these interviews and others with his family, I gleaned more on how the extensive fraud worked, how he hid it for so long, and even why and when the scheme started. 2/

I obtained detailed accounts of what happened inside Madoff’s office in those final days, weeks and months, including the difference between what the employees on the 17th floor versus the market-making business on the 19th floor knew. 3/

I obtained info on a number of intimate "firsts" as well: The first words Ruth uttered upon hearing Madoff’s confession to the family, the first actions by Mark and Andrew upon hearing their father’s confession, and more. 4/

I asked how the regulators (SEC, SIPC and FINRA) missed the Madoff Ponzi scheme for 40 years while the whistleblowers assessed it was fraud within minutes, and how Madoff’s bank missed what was happening in Madoff’s accounts—particularly in the infamous 703 account. 5/

But the most interesting parts of what I learned were much less logistical. I asked Madoff what he really thought of his actions and the damage he caused, and how the scheme impacted his family. I gained an exclusive understanding of his psyche. 6/

My investigation wasn't just about Madoff, but also complicit investors and even more, his victims. An estimated 1,000 of the 16,000 victims had assets under $500,000. Through my research, I profiled Madoff and those impacted by his scheme side-by-side for the first time. 7/

All of this insight is situated over years of first-time media interviews with Bernie, Ruth, Andrew, and Madoff’s lawyer, Ira Sorkin, and has become particularly timely today. 8/

So why did he do it? How did he get away with it for so long? What did his family know? Who is the elusive Bernie Madoff? All of this is available to read in my book, "Madoff Talks," out April 27. Preorder it here: tinyurl.com/madofftalks 9/