The story of Enron, the energy company, and its rise and inglorious fall. We see its origins in the 1980s, how it was set up with energy deregulation in mind, and how it profited off the deregulation. Moreover, we see how it took accounting practices to the extremes, to the point that the senior executives were cooking the books. There is also coverage of the unethical practices of Enron' traders, particularly in the California electricity market. In the end it all comes crashing down, losing everyday, law-abiding employees their jobs, savings and pensions.
Brilliant documentary. A great telling of how greed and hubris can lead to crime of the highest magnitude.
Very well told. You can see how the illegalities just build. From legal mark-to-market accounting, the executives then start to overstate future profits. When these profits don't eventuate, rather than mark the profit down, they cover up the shortfall. Eventually the accumulated difference is so great that they feel they can't reverse it.
Using company promo footage and presentations you can see how easy it must have been for investors and employees to fall for the lines.
Not just an examination of corporate greed and lack of ethics but an examination of the baser instincts of mankind. So many cases of people choosing to do what was good for them, rather than what was right. The CFO, who was setting up all the dubious accounting schemes, was even skimming some of the company profit for himself! Thieves stealing from thieves.
Highly engrossing. Told in very intriguing fashion by narrator Peter Coyote and written and directed by Alex Gibney (based on the book by Bethany McLean), while the subject is complex, it is reasonably understandable.
Interesting for so many reasons too. The fact that they managed to hoodwink equity analysts for so long, the momentum effect - the more they got into it and the better they did, the less they could go back, the effects on investors and employees, the hubris on display.
A truly great documentary, one that should be used in business schools and ethics classes.
Brilliant documentary. A great telling of how greed and hubris can lead to crime of the highest magnitude.
Very well told. You can see how the illegalities just build. From legal mark-to-market accounting, the executives then start to overstate future profits. When these profits don't eventuate, rather than mark the profit down, they cover up the shortfall. Eventually the accumulated difference is so great that they feel they can't reverse it.
Using company promo footage and presentations you can see how easy it must have been for investors and employees to fall for the lines.
Not just an examination of corporate greed and lack of ethics but an examination of the baser instincts of mankind. So many cases of people choosing to do what was good for them, rather than what was right. The CFO, who was setting up all the dubious accounting schemes, was even skimming some of the company profit for himself! Thieves stealing from thieves.
Highly engrossing. Told in very intriguing fashion by narrator Peter Coyote and written and directed by Alex Gibney (based on the book by Bethany McLean), while the subject is complex, it is reasonably understandable.
Interesting for so many reasons too. The fact that they managed to hoodwink equity analysts for so long, the momentum effect - the more they got into it and the better they did, the less they could go back, the effects on investors and employees, the hubris on display.
A truly great documentary, one that should be used in business schools and ethics classes.