Billionaire Boys Club

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/billionaire-boys-club

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the club's full name?Billionaire Boys Club (BBC)
2. What is the period of operation?1983-1989
3. Why did the club pretend to be rich?The leader, Joseph Hunt, wanted to join fancy circles and used the idea of quick money to attract young men who thought they could become very wealthy.
4. How did the club make money?It was a Ponzi scheme, meaning it used money from new members to pay earlier members, not real business profits.

Ponzi Scheme: An investment fraud that pays existing investors with funds collected from new investors, creating an illusion of profitability.
Con Artist: An individual who deceives others, typically for financial gain, often through elaborate schemes.
Social Engineering: The use of psychological manipulation to trick people into divulging confidential information or performing actions.
Financial Fraud: Intentional deception or misrepresentation of financial information for personal gain or to damage another individual or entity.