There's a name for wealth that only exists because a fraud hasn't been found yet

Economist John Kenneth Galbraith coined 'the bezzle' to describe the gap between when an embezzlement happens and when it's discovered — a period when both the thief and the victim feel wealthier than they actually are, since neither has registered the loss. He argued the bezzle expands during booms, when trust is high and no one checks closely, and evaporates fast in a crash. Warren Buffett has cited the concept when warning about financial exuberance.

— John Kenneth Galbraith, The Great Crash 1929 — 1954
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