Exactly right. I wouldn't be able to enjoy myself for a minute knowing I was using the sweat and dreams of other people to fund a greedy and grotesquely opulent lifestyle.

Madoff's a sociopath. **** him.

X2.

I guess it depends on your value system... and character. To my way of thinking, the most important asset a person has is his good name. I felt that way at 20, at 40, and still do today.
Med makes a good point about sleeping (peacefully with clear conscience I'd add) in a warm bed.
Me? I wouldn't trade my reputation, whatever it is, for money.
After a good name, I list, in order, health, freedom, and money as most important to me.

You fellas in your 20's and 30's: Your 60's are just around the corner. ;)

A life of waiting for the FBI to show up any day with an arrest warrant, no matter how much money, houses, cars, boats, etc. I had would not be the way I'd want to live. To be able to go to sleep at night with a clear conscience is truly priceless.

The whole Maddoff situation is also topped off by a bit of irony. He stole in order to have the houses, the boats, and the luxuries. However because he stole... he lost the houses, the boats, and the luxuries.

There is another thread that asked "Is your car tainted" Would you want to own any of Maddoffs former goods?

I wasn't intending to induce a debate on the merits/demerits of criminality but more on the question of the relationship of old age to youth and opportunity. I read someone once who claimed that the sequence of happiness/unhappiness is life was equally as important as the amount and no matter the amount of happiness in youth, looking forward to a future of unhappiness did not balance it out.

When I was young, I was focused on making as much money as I could. Now, I'm more focused on spending my time in the most profitable and satisfying way.

Even if I passed away before being incarcerated, the legacy and tainted name left behind would scar my immediate family and future generations!

Not the kind of will I would want to leave!

To answer OP's question, at 21 I'm a lot more concerned about being happy in my life than anything else. Money is important/nice, sure, but its superficial compared to personal relationships and satisfaction in your career(s).

Well there ya go, that says it all.

There's a lot to be said about being able to have a good nights sleep, no matter how old you are and what you've done.

I had an uncle who turned out to be quite an embezzler. He would help out all of his immediate family, enriching them with houses, cars, jewelry, cash, etc....he would also bail out other family members in need, with car repairs, groceries, a little cash here and there to make ends meet. My mother(his neice) were in that category.

I used to sleep over quite often as a kid and would wonder why he would be walking around in the middle of the night, working on the calculator, pen and pad. It seems like he never slept.

Years later, when his little ponzi scheme came to light, I got my answer as he was doing all of the good in his life with other people's money.

Some people's conscience is stronger than other I guess.