Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff miffed by 'inaccuracies' in ABC series about his life

Poor Bernie Madoff. The man who confessed to stealing $17.5bn from shilled investors in what's believed to be the largest financial swindle in US history has sent NBC a list of "absurd" inaccuracies about him in an ABC minseries called 'Madoff' on his life and larcenies.

The thoroughly disgraced one-time New York investment adviser who's serving a 150-year prison sentence called the series starring Richard Dreyfuss a "mischaracterisation."

"Yes I made a disastrous business that caused unforgivable pain," Madoff, 77, admitted in his email, adding that he'll "continue to do everything in my power to recover their lost investment principal."

Nevertheless, he grumbled to NBC, the series was filled with inaccuracies. For one thing, his wife was not an officer of his company, and his business-partner brother, Peter, was not the "pathetic soul" he was portrayed in the programme, Madoff wrote.

One other thing he wants to make crystal clear: He never bought his brother a car. "In fact, he purchased a British Aston Martin in England, with English pounds withdrawn from his capital account in Madoff Securities International Limited London," Madoff explained. Peter Madoff is currently serving a 10-year sentence for his role in the scheme.

He also "never slapped" his son Mark, as shown in the series, said Bernie. Mark Madoff hanged himself in 2010, two years after his dad was arrested for running the fraud scheme that wiped out the savings of thousands.

He also denied — again — of having an affair with the chief financial officer of a Jewish charity he swindled, dismissing the woman as a "stalker." "I'm sure it is fruitless to enumerate the numerous fictions and absurd mischaracterisations in the ABC movie," concedes Madoff. "However, I have never been one to turn the other cheek."

Madoff, locked up at the Butner Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina, has sent emails in the past — to reporters — complaining about how he's portrayed in the media. He's due to be released in 2139.