THE ENRON SCANDAL Jing Li Chrissie Parsons Holy Moye Charles Rollins
Feb 23, 2016
THE ENRON SCANDALJing Li
Chrissie Parsons
Holy MoyeCharles Rollins
BACKGROUND
• Texas-based pipeline company formed in 1985.
• One of America’s largest energy companies
• From 1996 and 2000, revenues increased by more than 750%.
• Scandal revealed in 2001.• Stock price fell from $90 per share to
less than $1
KEY PLAYERS
• Kenneth Lay – Chairman and CEO• Jeffrey Skilling – COO, then CEO• Andrew Fastow - CFO • Rick Causey - CAO• Other Executives
HOW WAS THE FRAUD PERPETRATED?• Poor corporate governance• Fraudulent accounting and unethical behavior
Inflated assets and profits Understated liabilities and losses
• Audit failure
HOW WAS THE FRAUD CONCEALED?• Arthur Andersen• Deceptive transactions• Creative accounting
HOW WAS THE FRAUD DETECTED?• Sherron Watkins• Raptor losses• spotty cash flow
HOW WAS THE FRAUD DETECTED?• Revenue growth report• Stock prices
FRAUD PREVENTION
• Code of Ethics• Ethical Environment• Ethical Management
FRAUD PREVENTION
• Conflict of Interest• Acted as “Auditor & Consulant”• Mark to Market Accounting
THE IMPACT
• Bankruptcy of Enron• Dissolution of the Arthur Andersen accounting
firm • Employees and shareholders lost billions in
pensions and stock prices• 20,000 employees lost their jobs and health
insurance• Changes in corporate governance• Sarbanes-Oxley legislation
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT
• Passed in response to recent accounting scandals
• Anti-fraud legislation• Aimed to protect investors• Corporate accountability• New financial reporting responsibilities
QUESTIONS?