Edward Snowden may be the world’s most famous whistleblower, but Bradley Birkenfield is the world’s richest (that we know of at least). In 2005, Birkenfield blew the whistle on his employer, the Swiss bank UBS, for helping Americans avoid paying taxes. It led to about $15 billion in recovered tax money, fines and penalties. But before he was awarded $104 million by the IRS for his role in exposing the scheme, Birkenfield spent two years in prison. How’s that for American justice?
Read the full story of how Birkenfield went from inmate to millionaire here, and check out the rest of our Unusual Millionaires below.
I’ve Made Millions Selling Fake Plastic Hillbilly Teeth
The story of Jonah White, the second in our series of Unusual Millionaires
I Gambled on Last Year’s World Series and Took Home $2.5 Million
The story of “Vegas” Dave Oancea, the third in our series of Unusual Millionaires
The Indiegogo Campaign for My Invention Raised $1.6 Million
My goal is to help my brother and the other people who suffer from sleep apnea
