Madoff Fund Operator Rene Thierry De La Villehuchet Commits Suicide

Rene Thierry de la Villehuchet, 65, was found dead at 7:50 this morning in his office of Access International Advisors near Rockefeller Center. While New York medical examiners have yet to determine the cause of death, French newspapers have already reported de la Villehuchet's death as a suicide. According to New York Times, authorities had found Rene Thierry de la Villehuchet with injuries to the arms, having slit his wrists.

Rene Thierry de la Villehuchet was the founder of Access International Advisors, a hedge fund which had lost nearly $1.4 billion through investments in the Madoff Scheme. Money manager Bernard Madoff had been accused of running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme that has wiped out investors worldwide. Access International Advisors was among the hardest to be hit. Rene Thierry de la Villehuchet had been trying to recover the money, but to no avail.

Madoff Fund Operator Commits Suicide: Suicide over Money

While the case of Rene Thierry de la Villehuchet, it is not uncommon. Money, despair, and suicide are universal themes. In It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey's case strikes a chord with every man (or woman) trying to provide for his family. When $8,000 inexplicably disappears, George Bailey faces an angry bank examiner, sheriff, and possible prison time. While $8,000 is a drop in the hat in today's currency, the movie took place in 1946, when one could buy a house for $5,000.

Like George Bailey, Rene Thierry de la Villehuchet's money had disappeared through dishonest means. In Bailey's case, Potter had stolen the money. In de le Villehuchet's case, it had gotten lost in Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Bailey's scandal potentially affected his family and the investors who owned homes in Bailey Park. Access International Advisors and de la Villehuchet's choices affected investors worldwide.

Money and suicide affect all levels of society. In August 2008, a Massachusetts woman committed suicide when authorities informed her of the decision to foreclose her home. In her suicide note, she encouraged her family to use the life insurance policy to buy back the home. This case is eerily reminiscent of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Like Willie Loman (and George Bailey), she had listened to Mr. Potter's admonition that "you're worth more dead than alive!"

Fortunately, George Bailey was saved through Clarence's intervention. Unfortunately, Rene Thierry de la Villehuchet and Access International Advisors had no such luck.