Trades or no trades, we know from the basic laws of economics that this money is not created from vapor, nor does it return to vapor. If $50 Billion is missing, where did it go? Who has it?
All we hear in all this financial crises mess is that money is missing, where did it go? Who has it? Go get it. Put it back where it belongs. Forget the bailout. What is this wallstreet jazz? There is limited numbers of stock. One sells the other buys. It does not vaporize, someone is holding the sheet of stock and someone else is holding the money. Do they think we are that stupid?
As has been stated a thousand times on this forum alone, in a Ponzi scheme the deposits of the more recent investors are used to service the redemption requests of the earlier investors, as long as the requests don't get too large. In this scheme, the system began to break down probably about the time the equity bear market started in the fourth quarter of 2007, as investor's needs for cash increased. Redemption demands increased throughout 2008 until Bernie finally let the cat out of the bag. It is possible Bernie was siphoning off a percentage all along into a nameless account somewhere. Some of the proceeds paid to early investors will have to be returned (to later investors).