39. Fodder Scam
Year: 1996
Approx. Amount: $540 million*
Company / Person Involved: Lalu Prasad Yadav
The Fodder Scam was a classic case of embezzlement. The Scam involved the theft of $540 million from the government of Bihar, an East Indian state. The Chief Minister of Bihar, as well as the former Chief Minister, were both implicated in the scam, though only the former was charged. The trials for the Fodder Scam finished in 2013, though the scandal first broke in 1996.
Fodder Scam @ndtv / Twitter.com
The theft lasted for years, and it involved a herd of fake livestock, for which animal husbandry equipment, medicine, and fodder were procured. In reality, the money that was supposed to go to this so-called herd went right into the pockets of Bihar government officials.