Whether you know the full story or not, you’ve probably heard the name Enron before. In the summer of 2000, the energy company, renowned for their innovation, was on top of the world with a market value of almost $70 billion. But a year later, they filed for what was, at the time, the largest bankruptcy in American history. What happened? And why?
Conspiracy ... Show More
Oct 7
Panic in the Streets: The War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast
On Halloween Eve, 1938 Orson Welles' The War of the Worlds aired on CBS radio. It detailed an alien invasion so realistic that, according to legend, it caused widespread panic among listeners. People really believed aliens were invading Earth. The mass hysteria is an important pa ... Show More
47m 40s
Sep 30
Did a Psych Experiment Turn Ted Kaczynski into the Unabomber?
On April 3, 1996, Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski – better known as the Unabomber – was arrested, ending a 17-year-long bombing spree that left 3 dead and 23 injured. He promised to end his campaign of terror only after outlets published his 35,000-word manifesto; in his view, technolog ... Show More
42m 36s
Jan 2023
How Enron Fooled the World
Until 2007, the largest single corporate bankruptcy was Enron, a $67 billion energy trading company. Its decline was breathtaking, and while it’s a fascinating story of corporate malfeasance and greed, it’s also about the lives of ruined workers.See omnystudio.com/listener for pr ... Show More
59m 17s
Apr 2021
Enron Part I – Skilling, Lay, Fastow, and Causey, Four Horsemen of the Energypocalypse
20 years ago one of the largest corporations in the U.S - an energy trading corp. that boasted 750% annual growth – went down in flames. In 24 days it went from the pride of Houston to a stain on the country - pulling millions out of the economy, devastating its employees, and la ... Show More
58m 57s
Oct 2021
Enron, Ep 1: Potemkin Village
In 2001, energy company Enron was at the height of its power. Then, out of the blue, CEO Jeffrey Skilling resigned-just six months after he took the reins of a company he had helped turn into an innovation machine. Why? In this episode, we dive into the first cracks in the Enron ... Show More
26m 6s