Bernie Madoff Confesses…to Reading Danielle Steele Novels in Jail

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Justin Lane / EPA / Corbis

With a 150-year sentence behind bars for a $65 billion Ponzi scheme, Bernie Madoff doesn’t have too much to look forward to. But in an interview with the Financial Times, the disgraced financier finally revealed his side of the story and—his secret to surviving prison: antidepressants and romance novels.

“‘I spend most of my time in my room, reading,” Madoff said. “And — this is my secret — Danielle Steel. Yes, Danielle Steel.”

(More on TIME.com: See video of Madoff pleading guilty)

And who can blame him for turning to a bit of steamy romance in attempt to escape the harsh reality of losing his family, fortune and freedom after duping thousands of victims? When asked why and how he devised his fraudulent scheme, Madoff told the Financial Times, “You have to understand my history. I started with $500 in capital. I watched my father go bankrupt. I was very driven. But I was always outside the club, the club being the New York Stock Exchange and white shoe firms. They fought me every step of the way.”

Even more surprisingly, many universities have been in touch with him about teaching corporate ethics. But before he snags a teaching gig at a big business school, he might want to invest in a batch of Harlequin novels in between his shifts at the jail house commissary.

(More on TIME.com: See photos on the Demise of Bernard Madoff)