Barry Minkow is a convicted conman, and he believes anyone can find redemption.
That’s one of the reasons the San Fernando Valley native got involved in the three-part “King of the Con” docuseries, which begins streaming on Discovery+ Jan. 14. Yes, it’s a TV show: It’s also a warning to would-be fraudsters.
“When you lie to get money, that thing has one ultimate destination,” Minkow said in a recent telephone interview.
Minkow was once known as a whiz-kid who gained national fame as a 16-year-old after founding ZZZZ Best, a carpet-cleaning company, in the garage of his Reseda home in 1982. He became a Wall Street star when he was 20 as the youngest person at that time to take a company public. His success even landed him on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in April 1987.
He was convicted of fraud in 1988 after his business was revealed to be the front for a Ponzi scheme that was connected to the mob. Minkow was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison and served almost eight
Minkow founded ZZZZ Best when he was in high school, which seemed to be a legit and successful carpet-cleaning and restoration company. So how did it all go so horribly wrong?
“My poor decision making, my compromise, my lying to get money, “ he said.
He also blamed his drive to succeed.
“I wanted to do what was right but I was prepared to do…
