Episode #243 - What Was Ponzi's Scheme? (Part II) episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 27, 2026 · 1H 22M

Episode #243 - What Was Ponzi's Scheme? (Part II)

from Our Fake History

Charles Ponzi's remarkable rise and fall played out over the course of a wild eight month period. He went from being a failed importer-exporter mired in debt to Boston's most talked about self-made millionaire in a matter of weeks. After rebranding his company as the Securities Exchange Company, Ponzi started offering remarkable 50% returns to investors after only 90 days. But almost immediately Ponzi's plan to use postal coupons to game international exchange rates became impractical. But, instead of grabbing as much cash as he could and making a dash, Ponzi believed he could transform his scam into a legitimate business. Was Ponzi ever really serious about going straight? Tune-in and find out how the America's nation menace, Babe Ruth, and guy named Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford all play a role in the story.Join us in Greece in 2026! Check out the itinerary and book HERE!Check out the merch at out T-Public store HERE! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Charles Ponzi's remarkable rise and fall played out over the course of a wild eight month period. He went from being a failed importer-exporter mired in debt to Boston's most talked about self-made millionaire in a matter of weeks. After rebranding his company as the Securities Exchange Company, Ponzi started offering remarkable 50% returns to investors after only 90 days. But almost immediately Ponzi's plan to use postal coupons to game international exchange rates became impractical. But, instead of grabbing as much cash as he could and making a dash, Ponzi believed he could transform his scam into a legitimate business. Was Ponzi ever really serious about going straight? Tune-in and find out how the America's nation menace, Babe Ruth, and guy named Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford all play a role in the story.Join us in Greece in 2026! Check out the itinerary and book HERE!Check out the merch at out T-Public store HERE!  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

NOW PLAYING

Episode #243 - What Was Ponzi's Scheme? (Part II)

0:00 1:22:04

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Our Fake History?

This episode is 1 hour and 22 minutes long.

When was this Our Fake History episode published?

This episode was published on January 27, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Charles Ponzi's remarkable rise and fall played out over the course of a wild eight month period. He went from being a failed importer-exporter mired in debt to Boston's most talked about self-made millionaire in a matter of weeks. After rebranding...

Can I download this Our Fake History episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!