Ponzi schemer Madoff dies at 82

NEW YORK — Bernard Madoff, the infamous architect of an epic securities swindle that burned thousands of investors, outfoxed regulators and earned him a 150-year prison term, died behind bars early Wednesday. He was 82.

Madoff’s death at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, N.C., was confirmed by his lawyer and the Bureau of Prisons.

Last year, Madoff’s lawyers filed court papers to try to get the 82-year-old released from prison in the COVID-19 pandemic, saying he had suffered from end-stage renal disease and other chronic medical conditions. The request was denied.

His death was due to natural causes, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

Madoff admitted swindling thousands of clients out of billions of dollars in investments over decades.

A court-appointed trustee has recovered more than $13 billion of an estimated $17.5 billion that investors put into Madoff’s business. At the time of his arrest, fake account statements were telling clients they had holdings worth $60 billion. photo shows the queen and Philip surrounded by seven of their great-grandchildren at a family gathering in 2018. The picture, which shows the queen holding a baby Prince Louis in her lap, is a rare image of the monarch holding one of her great-grandchildren.

The queen attended a ceremony at Windsor Castle for Lord Chamberlain Earl Peel, who has retired as the royal household’s most senior official. He oversaw arrangements for the funeral of Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, until handing over to his successor days before the duke’s death.

The queen and Philip’s daughter, Princess Anne, made a public appearance on Wednesday, visiting young sailors at the Royal Yacht Squadron sailing club on the Isle of Wight off England’s south coast. Prince Philip was a Royal Navy veteran and keen sailor.

His funeral will take place Saturday at Windsor Castle, with attendance limited to 30 because of coronavirus restrictions.