T = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) / Self-orientation

Of course, any such recipe worth its salt will also serve as a template for reverse engineering--a "how-to" manual for a con man. Measuring Bernie Madoff by the trust equation shows just what an effective job he did at mimicking genuine trust.

So let's do the numbers:

Credibility: Chairman of the Board of NASDAQ, for starters. Not to mention a Who's Who...