Barry Minkow Biography
Barry Minkow is a former American businessman, pastor, and fraud investigator is was born in Inglewood, California as Barry Jay Minkow. He founded ZZZZ Best, while he was still in high school. Barry’s business tremendously becomes a successful carpet cleaning and restoration company.
But, it was actually a front to attract investment for a massive Ponzi scheme. Unfortunately, It collapsed in 1987, costing investors and lenders $100 million one of the largest investment frauds ever perpetrated by a single person, as well as one of the largest accounting frauds in history.
After being released from jail, Minkow became a pastor and fraud investigator in San Diego and spoke at schools about ethics. This all came to an end in 2011, when he admitted to helping deliberately drive down the stock price of homebuilder Lennar and was ordered back to prison for five years. Three years later he admitted to defrauding his own church and was sentenced to an additional five years in prison.
10 Facts About Barry Minkow
- Name: Barry Minkow
- Age: 55 years
- Birthday: 22 March
- Height: 5 feet 10 inches
- Weight: 95 kg
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: businessman, pastor, and fraud investigator
- Marital Status: To be Updated.
- Salary: To be Updated.
- Networth: $90 million
Barry Minkow Age
Barry is 55 years old as of 2021, he was Minkow was born on 22 March 1966, in Inglewood, California, in the United States. He celebrates his birthday on March 22 every year.
Barry Minkow Height
Minkow stands at a height of 5 feet 10 inches (1.77 meters) tall.
Barry Minkow Weight
Minkow also weighs about 209 Ibs (95 kg).
Minkow Education
Barry attended Cleveland High School where he started ZZZZ Best in his parents’ garage with three employees and four phones.
Barry Minkow Family
Minkow was born in Inglewood, California to a Jewish family. His mother Carole and her husband Robert Minkow. Just at the age of nine, his mother got a job for Barry as a telemarketer with the carpet-cleaning business where she worked.
Six years later, while still a student at Cleveland High School, he started ZZZZ Best in his parents’ garage with three employees and four phones. Before that, he relies on friends to drive him to jobs since he did not have a driver’s license.
Barry Minkow Wife
Barry is married to his beautiful wife, Lisa. He has successfully kept the details of his wife and marriage status under the wraps. The couple has adopted two Guatemalan 14-year-old twin sons. The former pastor, Barry lives with his family in rural Crossville, Tennessee. However, his married life with his wife and children falsifies his gay rumors.
Barry Minkow Net Worth
Minkow has an estimated net worth of $90 million dollars as of 2021. when he was running ZZZZ Best Co., a publicly-traded carpet cleaning company, in the 1980s. The court said Minkow’s damage to Lennar tallied “at least $583,573,600.” That’s a pretty big number, even to a company with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion.
Barry Minkow Measurements and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Barry Minkow.
Barry Minkow Wiki
- Full Names: Barry Jay Minkow
- Popular As: ZZZZ Best Founder
- Gender: Male
- Occupation / Profession: Entrepreneur
- Nationality: American
- Race / Ethnicity: White
- Religion: Jewish
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Barry Minkow Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 55 years old as of 2021
- Zodiac Sign: Aries
- Date of Birth: 22 March 1966
- Place of Birth: Inglewood, CA, USA
- Birthday: March 22, every year
Barry Minkow Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: To be updated
- Height / How Tall?: 5 feet 10 inches (1.77 meters) tall
- Weight: 209 Ibs (95 kgs)
- Eye Color: Dark Brown
- Hair Color: Brown
- Shoe Size: Not Available
Barry Minkow Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Robert Minkow
- Mother: Carole Minkow
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Not Known
- Marital Status: Married
- Wife/Spouse: Married to Lisa Minkow
- Children: Sons (Dylan Gene Minkow, Robert Irwin Minkow)
Barry Minkow Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth: $90 million dollars
- Salary: Under Review
- Source of Income: Business
Minkow House and Cars
- Place of living: Crossville, TN
- Cars: Car Brand to be Updated
Barry Minkow “ZZZZ Best”
Minkow started his carpet cleaning business called “ZZZZ Best” at the early age of 15 in his parent’s garage. His company made an escalating growth to 1400 employees in just four years. His company became a national sensation and was valued to be around $280 million at that time. After three years, ZZZZ Best gave authority to private shareholders and the company’s stock worth $18 per share in 1986.
During the prime time of his company, he also had Genovese mafia among his clientele. His company was accused of a Ponzi scheme and collapsed in 1987. The American businessman was sentenced to 25 years but served only seven years.
Barry Minkow Church
During his period in prison, he turned his religion to Christianity and joined the Christian ministry. He soon became the pastor at the Community Bible Church in San Diego. He gave his religious lectures to the University students and business community to prevent fraud.
Barry Minkow’s Books
The company had also a half T-shirt printed ZZZZ BEST CARPET CLEANING & FURNITURE that is being sold on a global online platform, Redbubble for $19.90 per piece. Aside from his entrepreneurial journey, Barry cements his earnings as an author. Barry has published many books including Clean Sweep priced at $55.88 at Amazon.com. His other publications are Cleaning Up (2005) and Down, but Not Out: 10 Steps for Rebuilding Your Life, Your Career, And All That Other Stuff (2007).
The mastermind fraudster, Barry turned to a white fraud buster after he got out of jail. He targeted the Herbalife nutritional company known for weight loss. Reportedly he received $300,000 from the company to shut his mouth. He was later involved in manipulating the shares of Lennar Corp illegally. He pled guilty but was sentenced to five years in jail.
Barry Minkow Movie
On June 14, 2011, KGTV in San Diego interviewed some members of Minkow’s former church, who said Minkow con them. One of them said Minkow asked for $300,000, purportedly to help finance a movie about his redemption. Before his 2011 conviction, production began on a film detailing Barry Minkow’s life and redemption.
Minkow: Con Man casts
The movie casts Mark Hamill, Justin Baldoni, Talia Shire, and Ving Rhames were partially funded by donations Minkow solicited from his congregation. Barry also played the middle-aged version of himself in the movie. However, following Minkow’s arrest, the film’s release was canceled and work began on a new ending. The movie changed its title to Con Man from the original title Minkow was eventually released in March 2018.
Barry Minkow Prisoned
Convictions
Minkow and 10 other ZZZZ Best insiders were indicted by a Los Angeles federal grand jury in January 1988 on 54 counts of racketeering, securities fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, mail fraud, tax evasion, and bank fraud. Plus, he was accused of bilking banks and investors of millions of dollars while systematically draining his company of assets.
The indictment also accused Barry of setting up dummy companies, writing phony invoices, and conducting tours of purported restoration sites. Prosecutors estimated that as much as 90 percent of the company’s revenue was fraudulent. Nonetheless, the prosecutors won a superseding indictment charging Minkow with credit card fraud and two additional counts of mail fraud On June 16
On the other hand, Barry admitted to manipulating the company’s stock, while claiming that he was forced to turn the company into a Ponzi scheme under pressure from business partners who secretly were in charge of his company, a story he later admitted was false. On December 14, he was found guilty of all charges.
Barry Minkow Sentenced
On 27 March 1989, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Minkow additionally was also placed on five years probation and ordered to pay $26 million in restitution. In sentencing him, U.S. District Court Judge Dickran Tevrizian described Barry as a person without a conscience.
The judge rejected Minkow’s plea for a lighter sentence as “a joke” and “a slap on the wrist” for someone who had manipulated the financial system.
The SEC, therefore, banned Minkow from ever serving as an officer or director of a public company again. What’s more, Barry served under seven and a half years, most of them at Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood. While imprisoned, Minkow had become a born-again Christian. While in prison, he became involved in Christian ministry, completing coursework through Liberty University’s School of Lifelong Learning.
Barry Minkow Released
It’s was said, Minkow was scheduled to get out of prison on June 6 of the next year 2019, but it’s still not clear whether his sentence has been cleared or not, but we will inform you when solid information about his release is out. Consequently, he was released on 6 June 2019.
Frequently Asked Questions About Barry Minkow
Who is Barry Minkow?
Minkow is well known as a fraud expert and a former businessman and the founder of carpet cleaning company ZZZZ Best.
How old is Minkow?
Minkow is 54 years old as of 2021, he was born on 22 March 1966, in Inglewood, California.
How tall is Barry Minkow?
Minkow stands at a height of 5 feet 10 inches (1.77 meters) tall.
Is Barry Minkow Married?
Barry is married to his beautiful wife, Lisa. He has successfully kept the details of his wife and marriage status under the wraps. The couple has adopted two Guatemalan 14-year-old twin sons. The former pastor, Barry lives with his family in rural Crossville, Tennessee. However, his married life with his wife and children falsifies his gay rumors
Who are Minkow’s Parents?
Is Minkow dead or alive?
Minkow is alive and in good health. There have been no reports of him being sick or having any health-related issues.
How much is Barry Minkow worth?
Minkow claimed a net worth of $90 million when he was running ZZZZ Best Co., a publicly-traded carpet cleaning company, in the 1980s. The court said Minkow’s damage to Lennar tallied “at least $583,573,600.” That’s a pretty big number, even to a company with a market capitalization of more than $3 billion.
Where does Minkow live?
Because of security reasons, Minkow has not shared his precise location of residence. We will immediately update this information if we get the location and images of his house.
Where is Minkow Now?
Minkow works as a fraud expert with government investigative departments
Related Biographies.
You may also like to read the Bio, Career, Family, Relationship, Body measurements, Net worth, Achievements, and more about:
About InformationCradle Editorial Staff
This Article is produced by InformationCradle Editorial Staff which is a team of expert writers and editors led by Josphat Gachie and trusted by millions of readers worldwide.
We endeavor to keep our content True, Accurate, Correct, Original and Up to Date. For complain, correction or an update, please send us an email to informationcradle@gmail.com. We promise to take corrective measures to the best of our abilities.