Enron - A Sense of Urgency | 1

American Scandal

Wondery

True Crime, Exhibit C, Society & Culture, History, Documentary, History Daily, American History Tellers, Lindsay Graham

4.6 • 18.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 August 2019

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the mid 1990s, Enron Corporation solidifies its position as the number one energy company in America. Investment manager Sherron Watkins lands a dream job there, but quickly learns that Enron's office culture and accounting practices make it a treacherous place to work.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Prime members, you can listen to American Scandal add-free on Amazon music.
0:05.6	Download the app today.
0:10.4	On Tuesday, August 14, 2001, the restaurant on Smith Street in Houston is jam-packed with
0:25.5	the lunch crowd.
0:27.0	Sharon Watkins looks around.
0:29.2	She recognizes most of the faces of her co-workers at Enron, and they seem oblivious.
0:34.6	Watkins has seen the numbers, and she knows what they mean.
0:37.8	The ship has hit the iceberg, it's sinking, and there aren't enough lifeboats.
0:43.7	She pushes her plate away, having lost her appetite.
0:46.6	Her friend Kathy looks concerned.
0:48.5	Sharon, what's up?
0:50.1	You've barely touched your salad, and Annie's expecting us back in 15.
0:53.2	We can't keep the boss waiting.
0:55.8	Watkins trusts Kathy Lynn, a former Enron VP, now at the subsidiary LGM, and she's a friend.
1:02.8	So Watkins lowers her voice and leans across the table.
1:05.8	Yeah, about Andy.
1:08.0	Since June, he's had me reviewing assets, boring stuff, but he's trying to figure out how
1:13.4	to get some cash flowing in within the next couple of years.
1:16.8	But here's the problem.
1:18.3	We have these assets, Vichy, Hanover, Newfound, all hedged with this financial entity called
1:24.0	Raptor to shield losses, or at least the appearance of losses.
1:28.2	Oh no, Raptor's floral.
	...

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