90% of the goods we consume in the West are manufactured in far-off lands and brought to us by ship. The cargo shipping industry holds the key to our economy, our environment and the very model of our civilization; without it, it would be impossible to fulfill the ever-increasing demands of our societies. Yet the functioning and regulations of this business remain largely obscure to many, and its hidden costs affect us all. Due to their size, freight ships no longer fit in traditional city harbors; they have moved out of the public's eye, behind barriers and checkpoints.
The film answers questions such as: Who pulls the strings in this multi-billion dollar business? To what extent does the industry control our policymakers? How does it affect the environment above and below the water-line? And what's life like for modern seafarers? Taking us on a journey overseas and oceans, we reveal in an audacious investigation the many faces of world-wide freight shipping and sheds light on the consequences of an all-but-visible industry.

The saga of a handful of conquerors who built an empire in Central America and invented the methods of one of the very first multinationals. In 19th century Central America, a few entrepreneurial cowboys built an empire that enslaved populations and corrupted governments for over 100 years. The United Fruit Company thrived on unregulated capitalism; this film tells its story and that of its pioneers who feared neither God nor Man, and managed to get away with murder. Until the 1970s, that multinational set up a monopoly by combining violence, repression, corruption, environmental destruction and a formidable marketing machine. It turned an unknown fruit into an instrument of fortune and domination, and created a business model still largely used by today’s tech giants.
Using a rich trove of archival footage and documents, including letters to and from lobbyists, telegrams, vintage ads and movie clips, and gorgeous, hand-tinted stills, 'When Banana Ruled' is a story of intrigue that touches on economics, international politics, the history of business and reveals how an array of forces conquered the world through a simple fruit.

In the final episode, we hear how employees on the 17th floor were rewarded, and we see Madoff's $65 billion Ponzi scheme quickly collapses as investors begin to withdraw their money during the 2008 Financial Crisis. We see how Madoff's sons attempt to stop their father from writing bonus cheques for long-time investors, faithful employees, and extended family to help cushion the blow. Madoff confesses to the Ponzi scheme, and the FBI arrests him.
After pleading guilty, Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in prison. Two years after learning of the Ponzi scheme, his eldest son Mark is found hanging from a pipe, dead of an apparent suicide. His other son dies of lymphoma six years later.

The third episode emphasizes how Madoff's numbers were deemed unrealistic. Despite his competitors' investigations into these impossible figures and subsequent alerts to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency, swayed by Madoff's reputation, disregarded the numerous red flags. Choosing instead to look the other way, they allowed Madoff's operations to continue undeterred.

In the second episode, we see the stark differences between the modern and pristine operation on the 19th floor of the Lipstick Building and what was transpiring on the relic and shopworn 17th floor, where Madoff was running his investment advisory business and where most of the fraud was orchestrated, and from where Madoff's empire branched into the hedge fund business, which began drawing unwanted scrutiny.
In his disposition, Madoff confirms the names of four significant investors, including Jeffry Picower, a shadowy and long-time client, dating back 30 years. Although Madoff never confronted Picower or discussed the matter with him, it was suspected he knew what was going on and, because of this, had the power to torment and extort Madoff while profiting substantially from his Ponzi scheme.

This TV series delves into the rise and fall of Bernie Madoff, the man behind the largest fraud in US history. With his Ponzi scheme, Madoff bilked $65 billion from unsuspecting victims, marking one of the greatest cons in the history of investment banking. The series offers an intriguing look into the mind of this monumental swindler.
In the first episode we will see how Bernie Madoff starts his career in penny stock trades and builds a lucrative side business as an adviser, attracting clients with impressive returns.