It's pretty common, in the US context, to call Social Security a "Ponzi scheme".

The label is also controversial, but it should be an undisputed fact that people call it that, and it's obviously not particularly similar to Madoff's scheme.

Similarly, it's not hard to find people calling (particularly public) pension funds Ponzi schemes.

Your pension, if you have one is a ponzi. Your 401k is your money subject to special tax rules.

> A Ponzi scheme without anyone running it isn't a Ponzi scheme.

Citation please.

> Do you know the difference between, say, a pyramid scheme and a Ponzi scheme?

A pyramid scheme can make money for all participants but makes much more money for people high on the pyramid. Rising up the pyramid depends more on recruiting skill than time of entry.

A ponzi scheme doesn't actually make any money but merely redistrubtes money from later investors to earlier investors.