summary: New research highlights the need for companies to identify and manage “corporate psychopaths” to prevent financial crises.
The study focuses on Bernie Madoff, the perpetrator of one of the biggest pyramid schemes in history, and how certain psychopathic traits can lead to recklessness and greed that can lead to organizational and economic collapse. is highlighted.
The research suggests that Madoff’s behavior is consistent with psychopathic characteristics, raising the question of whether similar characteristics exist in the world of corporate finance.
Important facts:
- This study examined Bernie Madoff’s life and behavior against two established psychopathic scales and suggested that Madoff embodies a number of psychopathic behavior traits.
- Representing 0.6% to 1.2% of the adult population, corporate psychopaths can bring down organizations and economies through their recklessness and greed.
- The study suggests that there are likely other individuals with psychopathic traits in the world of corporate finance, highlighting the importance of identifying them before they rise to power. there is
sauce: Anglia Ruskin University
New Academic Study Investigating Behavior of New York Banker Bernie Madoff, World’s Largest Ponzi Scam Mastermind, Finds Companies Do More to Eradicate “Corporate Psychopaths” Within Organizations to Prevent Financial Collapse suggests that
This research international market research journalobserved Madoff’s behavior throughout his life, including business dealings, trials, and periods in prison.
that people with symptoms psychopathic personality traits They tend to get ahead in corporate finance, but their recklessness and greed can bring down entire organizations and economies.
The study’s author, Dr. Clive R. Bodie, is an associate professor at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and a pioneer in the field of corporate psychopathy.

About 0.6% to 1.2% of the adult population is defined as a psychopath. This means they have no conscience, shame, guilt, or the ability to experience love or empathy for others. The term corporate psychopath refers to a good psychopath who works in a corporate environment.
Madoff’s Ponzi scam centered around the wealth management division of his financial firm, defrauding thousands of investors around the world. The scam was discovered in December 2008 and was thought to be worth around $64 billion.
He was sentenced to 150 years in prison in 2009 and died in 2021 in a prison for inmates in need of health.
Madoff’s behavior was tested against two established measures of psychopathy. These include personality traits such as superficial charm and apparent intelligence. Lack of sincerity or honesty. Tendency to cheat. Lack of reflection. Be emotionally shallow. Lack of self-awareness. Serenity; and plain rationality.
Research suggests that Madoff embodied all of these behavioral traits in addition to many others. He was notorious for bullying detractors while carefully crafting an image of rationality and competence for those whose opinions mattered to him and his business.
His self-esteem reportedly remained intact in prison, and he showed no remorse for the victims of his crimes.
Dr Bodie said: “Highly psychopathic senior businessmen who were more than likely genuine psychopaths are visible in the history of commerce.
“This new study aims to understand whether some corporate scandals and bankruptcies involve executives who may be workplace psychopaths, and this is clearly the case.
“People often wondered if Bernie Madoff was actually a corporate psychopath, and he did score highly on the two measures of psychopathy utilized in this study.
“Findings suggest that Madoff’s fraud was a result of his character and that similar individuals such as Robert Maxwell and Ken Lay behaved similarly.
“There are probably many people in the world of corporate finance who have psychopathic traits similar to Bernie Madoff. It will be your job to identify them in
About this Business Psychology and Psychopathy Research News
author: Jamie Forsythe
sauce: Anglia Ruskin University
contact: Jamie Forsythe – Anglia Ruskin University
image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: open access.
“Insights on the Bernie Madoff Financial Markets Scandal Identifying New Opportunities for Business Markets ResearchersBy Clive R. Body et al. international market research journal
overview
Insights on the Bernie Madoff Financial Markets Scandal Identifying New Opportunities for Business Markets Researchers
This article reflectively applies measurement tools to assess whether you are a prominent investor and advocate for shareholder capitalism in 2020.th A century-old business career might be classified as a corporate psychopath.
This article examines aspects of the career of outstanding financial investment manager Bernie Madoff. Psychopaths and corporate psychopaths are defined as the background of the article.
A gauge of corporate psychopathy and psychopathy is outlined and could potentially be modified to identify corporate psychopathy within an organization as a way for market research firms to assist in investment decisions in such organizations.
The article concludes that bankruptcies like Madoff’s investment firm are distinguished by having a CEO who is both an admired agent of financial market capitalism and at the same time embodies the traits of a corporate psychopath. .
Investigating potential corporate psychopaths using this historical methodology can help provide an idea of how psychopathic leadership can affect the economy and how it affects financial markets. It gives new insight into the reasons for the greed, risk-taking, and unethical practices seen.
The findings support the generally accepted view that corporate psychopaths can be found in senior positions in the financial services sector.
This latest document provides a new avenue for research provided by market research firms. For example, B2B researchers can conduct research to identify companies that are long-term viable, sustainable, and less likely to collapse (i.e., non-psychopathic companies).
Investment firms such as pension funds could use such research to identify companies that are less risky, more ethical, better guided and therefore safer to invest in.