OmegaPro has been exposed as a massive Ponzi scheme, primarily centered around forex trading and cryptocurrency, luring investors with promises of returns as high as 300%. This fraudulent operation has impacted millions of people across more than 55 countries. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-65038949
The credibility of OmegaPro was further bolstered by the involvement of over 20 football legends, who participated in various events organized by the company. Renowned former players such as Luís Figo, Ronaldinho, Kaká (pictured above), Iker Casillas, Marco Materazzi, John Terry, Wesley Sneijder, and others lent their star power to these events, unwittingly or otherwise, giving the scheme a veneer of legitimacy. This incident raises a crucial question about the ethical responsibilities of celebrities and public figures. Are they liable for the economic chaos caused by their greedy endorsements, while sitting on fortunes worth hundreds of millions of euros, or can their stupidity shield them from accountability?
The most striking irony emerges with undeniable clarity upon examining the contents of the Scopus database. When one conducts a search using the keyword "Ponzi" within the title, the database returns a scant 200 documents. In stark contrast, a search for the term "fashion" floods the database with an overwhelming 18,262 results. This glaring disparity compels us to confront a significant and troubling question: Does this imbalance suggest that academia exhibits a profound indifference toward financial schemes that wreak havoc on the lives of millions?
PS - This academic disconnection is not a new concern. Years ago, a French historian affiliated with the University of Paris-XIII argued that universities are becoming increasingly insular, fixated on their own academic agendas paying limited attention to pressing public issues. https://pacheco-torgal.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-role-of-academia-towards-type-1.html The OmegaPro Ponzi scheme serves as a stark reminder that this detachment can have dire consequences. If universities do not take an active role in addressing and preempting such crises, who will?
Declaration of competing interests - Back on January 21 i wrote: "Within the contours of this envisioned civilization... football players would inevitably find themselves...relegated to a tier analogous to "monkeys..."
