Picower, Big Madoff Investor, Found Dead In His Pool

Jeffry Picower, said to be the largest individual beneficiary of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, was found dead yesterday in his Palm Beach, Fla., pool.

Picower, who allegedly withdrew more than $7.2 billion from his accounts with Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities over the past two decades, was found at the bottom of the pool by his wife, Barbara, who runs his charitable foundation. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead about an hour and a half later; an autopsy is being performed today to determine the cause of death.