Epilogue

Abstract

I began this book recounting how I first became interested in the topic of corporate governance. My acquaintance with Enron while in the oil business drew my attention because of its trading. When the journalistic witchhunt to discover the “fraud” at Enron began, it struck me then as much more than the usual journalists’ coverage of a financial fiasco. I began picking my way through the “exposé” literature to more fully understand what had gone wrong at Enron. That literature burgeoned. The more I read, the more I had to read because there were too many unanswered questions. Enron was an enigma. How could a company that have grown from rather inauspicious beginnings as a pipeline company to become one of the largest companies in America in so short a time? Prior to the exposure of its manifold failures, it was cited as the most innovative and best managed company in America? How did it collapse almost without warning?