MMM by Sergei Mavrodi — $1 Billion+

Sergei Mavrodi's pyramid promised impossibly high returns—sometimes 1,000% per year—cashing out early investors with later money until Russia's economy collapsed in 1998. The scheme's $1 billion+ toll is conservative; Mavrodi resurrected MMM in Africa and Asia, collecting an additional $500 million before his 2018 death. Compared to the average Russian pension of $30 per month in the 1990s, his payouts were illusory, yet 40% of savers joined.