Madoff friend in drowning
JEFFRY PICOWER, a Palm Beach millionaire and a lifelong friend of disgraced banker Madoff, was found dead at the bottom of his own pool yesterday.
The 67-year-old, who was being sued over $7.2bn (£3.9bn) of alleged bogus profits made from the pyramid scheme of the disgraced financier – who is serving 150 years in prison – was found by his wife and a maid.
The ex-New York lawyer and accountant, who had been a companion of Madoff for several decades, died in hospital, after being briefly resuscitated at his Florida retreat.
The death is being investigated as a drowning, and police will perform a post-mortem exam and toxicology tests.
Picower had said he had no knowledge of Madoff’s scheme, but was being sued by Irving Picard, a Madoff bankruptcy trustee, who wants to recover lost assets.