NASA scientist who retrained as investment adviser before blowing clients' cash on luxury holidays is ordered to repay £650,000

By MATT STRUDWICK, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:32, 27 July 2026 | Updated: 12:33, 27 July 2026 A former NASA scientist who retrained as an investment adviser before blowing his clients' cash on luxury holidays has been ordered to pay back more than £650,000 to his victims. John Burford, 86, generated in excess of £1million from more than 100 punters over three years in a bogus investment scheme he called 'Tramline Trader'. Burford, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was jailed for two years at Southwark Crown Court in September 2025 after admitting one count of fraud by false representation and three counts of unauthorised trading. The ex-physicist, who has served his sentence, was back in the same court again today for a Proceeds of Crime hearing, where he appeared wearing a dark waistcoat and purple shirt. Prosecutor Fiona Jackson said the total benefit figure sought by the Crown is £1,250,946.22 but accepted he has realisable assets worth £655,951.40 available. Judge Nathaniel Rudolf, KC, made a confiscation order in that amount with a default term of five years in jail if he fails to pay in three months. Burford's barrister, Alexander dos Santos, had previously said he had 'nothing left' and that his children were now estranged from their father.  Burford's scheme was named after a book he published - 'A practical guide to swing trading with tramlines, Elliott Waves and Fibonacci levels' - which included investment tips and a 'straightforward, winning trading method'. Former NASA scientist John Burford, 86, who retrained as an investment adviser before blowing clients' cash on luxury holidays, has been ordered to pay back more than £650K He received £450,000 from his subscription services, and 'just shy of £1 million', in investments, but only traded £760,000 for his clients and lost nearly all of it, prosecutor Tom Godfrey said last year. He used the remaining funds to splash out on a new home, holidays and dinners in top restaurants, the court heard. A victim who followed Burford for years through his newsletter invested £50,000. Another victim who said Burford 'seemed very believable' put in £30,000. A 62-year-old victim, who invested £10,000, said: 'Unfortunately I trusted him with my hard-earned money which I planned to use for my retirement.' A 64-year-old man, who had prostate cancer at the time, said Burford dented his confidence in trading and 'psychologically damaged' him. Burford used £250,000 to fund his new home, but it is not clear how much the property cost or where it is, the court was told. He was the sole director of Financial Trading Strategies Ltd, but was not authorised to trade in the UK. Mr dos Santos earlier said Burford's reputation was 'in tatters'. He said: 'After graduating from Bristol in physics in 1961, Mr Burford went to California. He was recruited by NASA in Washington DC and joined the Mars exploration team. 'He was at that point introduced to financial markets, and a trading account was opened in his name. 'He ended up involved in different businesses which involved making stained glass. He then moved into financial services and undertook courses in the US. 'He moved from job to job and had a few businesses, with modest income throughout his life, renting properties. 'When he came back to the UK, he published a book in 2014, called Tramline Trading. Since 2012, he has been blogging financial papers. He has a decent reputation in the financial world, and has been published in various magazines. 'The house he bought is now going to be confiscated. He has absolutely nothing left. His children are estranged from him.'