Mark Yagalla is a former Wall Street trader who rose to fame and fortune in the late 1990s, only to fall from grace and face legal troubles in the early 2000s. He was once hailed as a prodigy and a wunderkind, who made his first million at 19 and managed a hedge fund worth $50 million by 22. He was also known for his lavish lifestyle and his relationship with Playboy model Sandy Bentley, who he showered with expensive gifts and jewelry.
However, his success was built on a Ponzi scheme that defrauded his investors of millions of dollars. He was also involved in a scandalous affair with Bentley, who left him for another man and tried to sell the jewelry he gave her. This led to a mysterious double murder that remains unsolved to this day. Here is everything you need to know about Mark Yagalla, his rise and fall, and his current whereabouts.
Mark Yagalla Wiki/Bio
| Name | Mark Yagalla |
|---|---|
| Birth date | 1977 |
| Birth place | Weatherly, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Education | Dropped out of Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Former hedge fund manager, author, blogger, freelance writer, consultant |
| Net worth | Negative (as of 2020) |
| Criminal charges | Securities fraud, insider trading, market manipulation |
| Criminal penalty | Five years in prison, restitution of $50 million |
| Relationship status | Single |
| Children | None |
| Notable works | Wall Street Joyride: The True Story of the Prodigy, the Playmates and the Missing $50 Million |
| Notable events | Defrauded investors of $50 million, dated Playboy model Sandy Bentley, involved in a double murder mystery |
| Current residence | New York City, USA |
| Links | Instagram- @markyagalla Linkedin- @markyagalla Homepage- Newsunzip |
Birthday, Early Life and Education
Mark Yagalla was born in 1977 (age: 46 years, as of 2023) in Weatherly, Pennsylvania. He grew up on his father’s conifer farm and developed an interest in the stock market at a young age. He was a gifted child who excelled in school and skipped several grades. He started trading stocks when he was 13, using the money his cousin gave him. He spent hours in the library, reading financial reports and newspapers. He made $100,000 by the time he graduated from high school.
He enrolled in the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he continued to trade stocks and futures. He dropped out after his sophomore year, after making his first million. He moved to New York City and started working on Wall Street, where he impressed his clients and colleagues with his trading skills and charisma.
Career and Scandal
Mark Yagalla founded his own hedge fund, Ashbury Capital Partners LP, in 1998. He also launched another fund, Apex Investments, in 1999. He claimed to have a proprietary trading strategy that could generate high returns in any market condition. He attracted investors from around the world, who trusted him with their money. He boasted that he had a net worth of $300 million and that he was making $10 million a year.
However, behind the scenes, Yagalla was running a Ponzi scheme. He used the money from new investors to pay off the old ones, and to fund his extravagant lifestyle. He also lost millions of dollars in bad trades and gambling. He hid his losses from his investors and lied about his performance. He also engaged in insider trading, market manipulation, and fraud.
Yagalla’s downfall began in 2000, when the dot-com bubble burst and the stock market crashed. His investors started to demand their money back, but he could not pay them. He tried to stall them with excuses and false promises, but they grew suspicious and angry. Some of them filed lawsuits against him, accusing him of fraud and breach of contract. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also launched an investigation into his activities.
Yagalla was arrested in November 2000 and charged with criminal securities fraud. He pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the authorities. He admitted that he had defrauded his investors of more than $50 million and that he had no assets left. He also revealed that he had spent millions of dollars on women, especially Sandy Bentley, who he met at a Las Vegas strip club in 1999.
Relationship with Sandy Bentley
Sandy Bentley was a Playboy model and one of Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends. She and her twin sister, Mandy, lived in the Playboy Mansion and appeared on the cover of the magazine in June 2000. She met Mark Yagalla at the Crazy Horse Too in Las Vegas, where she worked as a dancer. Yagalla was smitten with her and pursued her relentlessly. He offered her $10,000 to spend the night with him, which she accepted. He also gave her a Rolex watch and a diamond ring.
Yagalla and Bentley started a relationship, even though she was still dating Hefner. Yagalla showered her with lavish gifts, including cars, furs, clothes, and jewelry. He spent more than $6 million on her, buying her a 15-carat diamond ring, a 10-carat diamond necklace, and a 7-carat diamond bracelet. He also paid for her plastic surgery, her rent, and her travel expenses. He even bought her a house in Las Vegas, where they lived together.
However, Bentley was not faithful to Yagalla. She cheated on him with several men, including Michael Tardio, a model and aspiring actor. She also lied to him about her past, hiding the fact that she had been married twice before. She also kept in touch with Hefner, who was unaware of her affair with Yagalla.
Bentley broke up with Yagalla in 2000, after he was arrested and his fraud was exposed. She moved out of the house and took the jewelry he gave her. She tried to sell the jewelry to a mysterious buyer, who offered her $1 million in cash. She asked Tardio to deliver the jewelry to the buyer, who arranged to meet him in a Hollywood neighborhood on September 2, 2002.
Double Murder Mystery
Michael Tardio and his friend, Chris Monson, drove to the meeting place with the jewelry in a briefcase. They never returned. Their bodies were found later that night in Tardio’s SUV, which was set on fire. They had been shot multiple times. The jewelry and the money were missing.
The police suspected that the buyer was a criminal who had planned to rob them. They also suspected that the jewelry was linked to Yagalla’s fraud and that he might have been involved in the murder. However, they had no solid evidence or leads. The case remained unsolved for years.
In 2013, the police announced that they had identified a suspect, who they named as Omar Miller. Miller was a convicted drug dealer and rapist, who had died in 2008. The police said that they had found his DNA on a cigarette butt near the crime scene. They also said that they had traced the jewelry to a pawn shop in Arizona, where Miller had sold it. They claimed that Miller had acted alone and that he had no connection to Yagalla or Bentley.
However, some people doubted the police’s version of the story. They pointed out that Miller had no motive to kill Tardio and Monson, and that he could have easily taken the jewelry without shooting them. They also questioned how Miller knew about the jewelry and the meeting place, and why he waited for 11 years to sell it. They suggested that there might have been another person or persons involved in the murder, who had hired or manipulated Miller to do the dirty work.
Some of the possible suspects were Yagalla, Bentley, Hefner, or someone else who had a grudge or a stake in the jewelry. However, none of them were ever charged or implicated in the murder. The case remains officially closed, but many questions remain unanswered.
Height, Weight
- Height: around 5’10″ (178 cm)
- Weight: around 160 lbs (73 kg)
- Eye color: dark brown
- Body measurements: unknown
- Skin color: light tan
- Hair color: black
Where Is Mark Yagalla Now?
Mark Yagalla was sentenced to five years in prison in 2002. He was released in 2006, after serving four years. He wrote a book about his life and his crimes, titled Wall Street Joyride: The True Story of the Prodigy, the Playmates and the Missing $50 Million. He also appeared on several TV shows and documentaries, such as American Greed, The Playboy Murders, and The Rise and Fall of Yagalla.
Yagalla claimed that he had changed his ways and that he was sorry for what he had done. He said that he had learned his lesson and that he wanted to help others avoid making the same mistakes. He also said that he had forgiven Bentley and that he hoped she was happy. He said that he had no idea who killed Tardio and Monson, and that he had nothing to do with it.
Yagalla tried to make a comeback in the financial world, but he faced many challenges and obstacles. He was barred from working in the securities industry and he had to pay back his investors and creditors. He also had to deal with the stigma and the scrutiny of his past. He struggled to find a stable job and a steady income.
As of 2024, Mark is 46 years old. He lives in New York City and works as a freelance writer and consultant. He also runs a blog, where he shares his opinions and insights on various topics, such as politics, economics, sports, and entertainment. He is single and has no children. He says that he is happy and content with his life, and that he hopes to inspire others with his story.
