The slogan with pyramid schemes is simple- “someone will always make money and it won’t be you.”
As federal agents and law enforcement officials raided an apartment in Westborough, Massachusetts, they uncovered a king’s ransom in the form of millions of dollars in cold hard cash. According to ABC News, $20 million was packed tightly into the box spring under a mattress. It is believed to be a small portion of the total assets laundered from investors in a vast pyramid scheme. The 400 plus pounds of currency in the box spring, edged the value of the bed past the bedroom accommodations of the Sultan of Brunei for the most valuable place to fall asleep in the world.
Founders of the now defunct internet telecommunications company TelexFree, allegedly raised over $1 billion in funding and reported sales of $1.02 billion in 2013. However, almost all of the capital was taken directly from individuals who were duped into believing that the company was a legitimate business. The scheme operated from 2012 until 2014 before the venture folded and the money disappeared.
Read the full ABC News story here.