Information I've seen indicates that they thought he was perpetrating a DIFFERENT kind of scam than the one that eventually caused the collapse of the whole thing.
Some yes, some know, but for the professionals in the pool(Fairfield Greenwich for the most obvious example) they simply had to know that the consistency of the returns and their magnitude, were not possible.
I can believe that the rubes in Palm Beach may have had no idea. People can believe amazing things about their money.(and their kids)
G R E E D!!!
Remember that some investors were able to receive either losses or gains on paper from Madoff, whatever they needed at the time.
What?
They claim that the SEC should have "caught this" and therefore they want their millions back - meaning the taxpayers (you and me) should pay them - and these were rich Democrats being interviewed from million dollar living rooms in mansions on Palm Beach.
I am not joking.