If run correctly a Ponzi scheme can last a long time. As long as you can keep new people paying into the scheme then it keeps going. Ultimately the scheme falls

If run correctly a Ponzi scheme can last a long time. As long as you can keep new people paying into the scheme then it keeps going. Ultimately the scheme falls apart when either someone takes a good hard look at the books or people quit paying in. The key is to not let anyone realize it's a scheme to begin with. Hollywood accounting isn't quite like that since almost everyone understands that they do it.