The record-setters
| Case | Reported bail | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Durst (Texas, 2003) | $3 billion (later reduced) | Court cited extreme flight risk after he had previously jumped bail |
| Raj Rajaratnam (New York, 2009) | $100 million | Insider trading case; extensive foreign ties and assets |
| Bernard Madoff (New York, 2008) | $10 million bond with home detention | Massive fraud exposure; secured by residences and sureties |
| Various cartel and trafficking cases | $25 million – $50 million | Access to offshore funds and international travel networks |
Reported figures come from contemporaneous news coverage of each case; bail amounts are frequently reduced on review.
Why courts go that high
Bail is security for appearance. When a defendant can absorb a seven-figure loss without blinking, only an amount that hurts serves the purpose. Courts also weigh victim and public safety, and in some cases conclude no amount is sufficient and deny bail outright under Article I, Section 12.
The California limit on all of it
The Eighth Amendment and the California Constitution both prohibit excessive bail. In re Humphrey added that California courts must consider ability to pay before conditioning release on money — which is why headline-grabbing numbers are rare here and are usually challenged quickly.
For ordinary cases, Penal Code §1269b schedules control the starting figure. See how is bail calculated.
What a huge bail costs to post
Ten percent of the bail, always — the rate is filed with the state under Insurance Code §1800. On $10 million bail the premium is $1 million, which is why very large bonds are collateralized with real property and written by multiple sureties. Try the math on any figure with the bail bond calculator.