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Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

CNBC presents the documentary that delves into one of history’s greatest business scandals. Narrated by Peter Coyote, the film unfolds like a drama with the emotional power of Greek tragedy, taking you inside as top executives walk away with more than $1 billion and investors and employees lose everything.

ABOUT THE SHOW

ENRON: The Smartest Guys in the Room is the inside story of one of America’s greatest business scandals, in which top executives of the country's seventh largest company walked away with more than $1 billion while investors and employees lost everything.

The story begins in 1985 when Enron was formed through the merger of Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, the Omaha, Neb. natural gas company.

By 2000, the company had grown into the largest natural gas merchant in North America, eventually branching out into trading other commodities, including water, coal and steel. Meanwhile, Jeff Skilling is named CEO, and the company stock skyrockets.

But when Enron's sleight of hand accounting and unethical trading eventually meet the realities of balance sheets that don’t balance and products that don't exist, unwitting employees whose financial futures are anchored to the Enron ship watch in horror as it quickly sinks.

VIDEO: SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM


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  • Where Did All the Money Go? 

      In this opening segment of the documentary, the Enron case is laid out. Who was responsible for the downfall of the nation's seventh largest company? Was it really Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling?

SHOW TIMES

QUIZ


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SLIDESHOWS


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  • Worst American CEOs of All Time

      Portfolio.com delves into the records of chief executives over the years, and breaks it down to the worst 20 CEOs of all time.

  • Biggest Chapter 11 Cases

      When Enron filed for bankruptcy protection, it joined the ranks of the largest companies in history to do so.

  • A Rogues Gallery of Financial Crime

      Over the years, people from CEOs to traders have tried to take advantage of the system. Here are some of the most notorious over the past two decades.

CONTACT US

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