Steven Hoffenberg

Steven Hoffenberg
Steven Hoffenberg in 1962
Born(1945-01-12)January 12, 1945
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
DiedAugust 2022(2022-08-00) (aged 77)
Body discoveredAugust 23, 2022
EmployerTowers Financial Corporation
Known forOwner of the New York Post (1993), Ponzi scheme at Towers Financial Corporation, Jeffrey Epstein associate
Criminal chargesFive counts of securities fraud, tax evasion, and obstruction of a Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry
Criminal penalty20 years imprisonment and fine; served 18 years
Spouses
  • Bailey Edgren (m. 1963)
    Second wife
Maria Santiago
(m. 2014)
Children1

Steven Jude Hoffenberg (January 12, 1945 – August 2022) was an American businessman and fraudster. He was the founder, CEO, president, and chairman of Towers Financial Corporation, a debt collection agency, which was later discovered to be a Ponzi scheme. In 1993, he rescued the New York Post from bankruptcy, and briefly owned the paper. Towers Financial collapsed in 1993, and in 1995 Hoffenberg pleaded guilty to bilking investors out of $475 million. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison (serving 18 years), plus a $1 million fine and $463 million in restitution. The U.S. SEC considered his financial crimes to be "one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history".