Why Do We Keep Glorifying Psychopaths in Power?

How do con artists like Trevor Milton, Elizabeth Holmes, and Sam Bankman-Fried continue to attract admiration — even after being exposed? The answer lies not just in their manipulations, but in our collective willingness to believe in illusions.

The Fraudsters We Idolize

Let’s look at four people who caused massive financial damage and yet remain curiously admired or sympathized with:

• Trevor Milton (Nikola): Lied about electric trucks that never worked. Sentenced to 4 years.

• Elizabeth Holmes (Theranos): Built a medical-tech empire on lies. Sentenced to 11.25 years, and still got married and had a child before prison.

• Sam Bankman-Fried (FTX): Orchestrated one of the biggest crypto collapses ever. Sentenced to 25 years.

• Bernie Madoff (Ponzi King): Finally treated as the monster, he was sentenced to 150 years.

Why such a wide range in consequences? And more importantly: why do we keep falling for these types?

The Psychopath in a Power Suit

Many of these individuals show clear traits from the Dark Triad:

• Psychopathy: Lack of remorse, emotional detachment

• Narcissism: Grandiosity, entitlement

• Machiavellianism: Ruthless manipulation

But here’s the twist: they don’t look dangerous.

They smile. They dress well. They give TED-style talks. They sound “visionary.”

And we eat it up.

Dark Traits, Magnetic Pull

Research shows that people are often attracted to Dark Triad traits, especially when disguised as confidence, passion, or “genius.” That’s why even after being exposed, people still admire or even romanticize these individuals:

• Holmes inspired a TV miniseries.

• SBF has documentaries.

• Milton will likely get a redemption book deal.

“He was just ahead of his time.” “She just made some mistakes.”

“He’ll bounce back — watch.”

This isn’t justice. This is society playing out its addiction to the illusion of greatness.

Infamy Is the New Fame

The media is complicit. These stories aren’t told as warnings — they’re served as binge-worthy drama.

• Crimes become content.

• Trials become TV shows.

• Psychopaths become brands.

And the average person forgets the human cost:

• Retirement funds lost.

• Employees laid off.

• Families broken.

• Trust in innovation eroded.

The Real Violence Is Invisible

White-collar crime is labeled “non-violent”, yet its impact is devastating.

It destroys futures without a single bullet fired.

But because it’s dressed in a suit, and doesn’t leave blood on the floor, we let it slide.

The courts go soft. The public forgets. And the cycle begins again.

This Isn’t Just About Them — It’s About Us

Here’s the real mirror we have to look into:

• We reward bold lies more than humble truth.

• We praise charisma more than character.

• We believe in “genius founders” because we crave a savior even if they’re sociopaths.

Until we, as a culture, evolve our definition of leadership from flashy to wise, from loud to ethical, we will keep getting duped. And worse, we’ll keep rewarding those who do the duping.

A Call to Awareness

It’s time to stop being impressed by fancy words, glossy pitch decks, and messiah complexes. It’s time to stop mistaking fraud for brilliance, or cruelty for confidence.

And it’s time to raise our standards for what kind of human beings we allow to lead in business, in tech, in media, in life.

Let’s break the spell of charisma. Let’s wake up before the next con.