Wealth Litigated
Wealth Litigated - EP 101: Bad Brad's Inadvertent Revenge
November 17, 2025
What happens when a Ponzi schemer loses $5.2 million of stolen investor money at Hollywood's most exclusive poker games? The winners get sued—and Bad Brad gets his revenge from prison. "Bad Brad," the real-life inspiration for a character in Molly's Game, was the ultimate "big fish" at underground high-stakes poker tables with A-list celebrities, billionaires, and wealthy entrepreneurs. Buy-in: $100,000. His personal bank account: often $0. Every chip he lost? Stolen from his hedge fund investors. When his $25 million Ponzi scheme collapsed in April 2009, Bad Brad went to prison for over 10 years. But the story didn't end there. His bankruptcy trustee filed 15 lawsuits against poker winners—including "Player X"—using a creative legal theory to claw back millions in gambling winnings. Discover: Why winning at poker doesn't mean you get to keep the money The fraudulent transfer legal strategy that shocked Hollywood winners How illegal gambling determinations contradicted Molly's Game's narrative Bad Brad's connection to Bernie Madoff's collapse One poker player's quote: "It's like he turned the tables on us with no skill, just sheer stupidity" Critical for wealth advisors: Learn the red flags of gambling-related financial disasters and why "innocent" recipients of stolen funds face clawback risks. Hosted by: Prof. Kelly Lise Murray, JD Wealth Litigated: All the drama of true crime, none of the blood—just courtroom battles that impact your clients' wealth.
What happens when a Ponzi schemer loses $5.2 million of stolen investor money at Hollywood's most exclusive poker games? The winners get sued—and Bad Brad gets his revenge from prison.

"Bad Brad," the real-life inspiration for a character in Molly's Game, was the ultimate "big fish" at underground high-stakes poker tables with A-list celebrities, billionaires, and wealthy entrepreneurs. Buy-in: $100,000. His personal bank account: often $0. Every chip he lost? Stolen from his hedge fund investors.

When his $25 million Ponzi scheme collapsed in April 2009, Bad Brad went to prison for over 10 years. But the story didn't end there. His bankruptcy trustee filed 15 lawsuits against poker winners—including "Player X"—using a creative legal theory to claw back millions in gambling winnings.

Discover:

Critical for wealth advisors: Learn the red flags of gambling-related financial disasters and why "innocent" recipients of stolen funds face clawback risks.

Hosted by: Prof. Kelly Lise Murray, JD

Wealth Litigated: All the drama of true crime, none of the blood—just courtroom battles that impact your clients' wealth.