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The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron

Page 72

by Bethany McLean


  EES Structured Finance Group, 182

  electricity, 49, 177, 178, 221, 248, 280, 300

  electricity trading, 64, 106, 110, 223, 260, 264–83, 284

  electric utilities, 166, 230

  Elektro Eletricidade, 259, 366

  Eli Lilly, 86, 304

  Ellison, Larry, 293

  El Paso, 105, 192, 220, 241, 319

  El Paso Electric, 271

  emerging markets, 73–74, 75, 77–83, 88–89

  Emshwiller, John, xvii, 349, 360, 364

  energy bubble, 36

  energy crisis, 6, 33

  Energy Department, 82

  energy-derivatives trading, 96

  energy efficiency, 177–78, 183–84

  Energy Market Report, 269

  energy markets, 264, 413

  global, 385

  energy traders, energy trading, 109, 133, 226, 264, 266, 267–79, 282–83, 299–304, 393, 413

  deals of, see Death Star; Fat Boy; Get Shorty; Ricochet; Silverpeak

  England, 22, 44, 48, 49, 52, 111, 113, 246, 346

  “Enron: Managing Off-Balance-Sheet Financing,” 237

  Enron Broadband Services (EBS), 64, 184–91, 225–26, 228, 263, 318, 344, 353, 354, 355, 366, 369, 396, 399, 415–16, 419–20

  bandwidth trading at, 110, 188, 243–44, 284, 286–87, 290

  Christmas party of, 296–97

  content delivery by, 188, 284, 287–88, 290–99, 315

  firings and layoffs at, 331–32, 334–35

  indictments against executives of, 411–12

  investment vehicles of, 293

  mergers-and-acquisitions team at, 288

  performance of, 289–90, 295–96, 297, 315–16, 320, 331–32, 335, 338, 345, 369, 387

  Project Backbone at, 289

  Project Braveheart at, 293–98, 317–18, 368, 412

  Rice at, 61, 171, 186, 213, 243, 287–92, 294, 298–99, 301, 332–33, 334–35

  as Skilling’s pet project, 172, 184–88, 255–56, 262, 284–86, 288, 314, 315–16, 331–32, 338, 340, 349

  valuations of, 299

  venture capital at, 288

  Enron Building, 377

  Enron Capital and Trade Resources (ECT), 56–69, 85, 100, 101, 103, 118, 120–22, 124, 126, 131, 133, 138, 187, 241, 390

  bonuses at, 64

  financial-services industry as model for, 27, 33, 67

  Enron Capital and Trade Resources (ECT) (cont.)

  income statements of, 60

  profits of, 56, 59–60, 61, 62, 67–68, 93

  renaming of, 186

  risk-control group at, 111, 115

  as Skilling’s model for Enron, 105

  “Enron CFO’s Partnership Had Millions in Profit,” 371

  Enron Cogeneration, 73

  Enron Communications, 188, 243

  Enron Corporation, xxii, 1–2, 3, 8, 19, 79–83

  accounting scandals of, see accounting; Arthur Andersen

  all-employee meetings at, 229, 323, 352–53, 356

  analyst-associate program at, 120, 122, 214–15, 334

  analyst meetings of, 176, 179–80, 242–44, 284, 314, 320–21, 323, 345

  Andersen’s risk assessment of, 147–48

  annual reports of, xix, 19, 168, 238

  assets of, 409

  Audit and Compliance Committee at, 130, 407

  balance sheet of, 77, 94–95, 150, 156, 157–58, 165, 310, 321, 325–26, 346, 363, 368, 384

  bank loans of, 18–19

  bankruptcy of, xxiv, xxv, 79, 91, 112, 129, 153, 158, 160, 172, 205, 241, 306, 401, 403–5, 406, 408–10, 413–14

  BBB+ rating of, 238

  as “black box,” 322, 323

  capital investments in, 320

  cash crisis at, 378–405

  cash flow of, 108, 112, 133, 150, 157, 158–61, 230, 232, 237, 321, 323, 326, 331, 340, 349, 373, 378, 388, 400, 408

  charitable donations of, 48, 96, 164, 165

  Come to Jesus meeting at, 25–26, 27

  corporate culture of, xxv, 25–26, 40, 116, 120–23, 140, 152, 187, 235, 240–41, 300, 332–33, 335, 372, 396–97, 401, 403

  credit rating of, 154, 161

  deal making prioritized at, 121–22

  debt of, 150, 154, 156–57, 161, 232, 237, 321, 323, 379–80, 395, 399, 403, 408

  deferred-compensation program at, 401

  Dominion Energy joint venture of, 47–48

  downfall of, 71, 91–92, 113, 132, 147, 277, 295

  downgrading of, 102, 235, 348, 374–75, 394–95, 400, 401, 403

  as dysfunctional workplace, 56, 63

  earnings of, 91, 92, 93–94, 102, 109, 125–28, 132, 133, 134, 141–42,

  229–30, 232, 321, 324–25, 331,

  339–40, 342–43, 346, 349, 369, 382, 400

  environmentally friendly image of, 174, 225

  ethics and values of, 193, 269, 275, 310, 353

  Finance Committee of, 199, 366

  financial filings of, 41, 304, 320, 330–31, 371

  financial reports and statements of, 15, 42, 155, 189, 230, 231, 321, 324, 329, 357, 368, 370

  focus groups at, 372

  fundamentals group at, 221

  Gas Bank at, 35–37

  growth of, 150–51, 179, 232

  HNG-InterNorth as origin of, 10, 13–14,

  33

  Industrial Group at, 130

  internal audit department at, 17, 19, 21,

  41

  investment banking fees of, 234

  investor confidence destroyed in, 346

  investor relations department of, 231, 322, 345, 360

  jets of, xxii, 3, 4, 51, 53, 86, 90, 96, 122–23, 175, 251, 302, 338, 346, 353, 367, 401, 405

  junk credit rating of, 14, 403

  lawsuits against, xxi, 380, 382, 396, 410–11

  legal department of, 18, 20, 276, 328,

  405

  liquid-fuels division of, 21

  liquidity of, 391

  lobbying by, 172, 173, 265

  as logistics company, 322

  London office of, 239

  losses of, 306, 309, 410

  market value of, 240

  mottoes of, 326

  myths and legends about, 35, 52, 172, 222

  nepotism in, 4, 90

  off-balance-sheet vehicles at, see off-balance-sheet vehicles

  as overleveraged, 165

  P&L at, 138

  performance reviews at, 117–18, 123, 138, 152–53, 154, 224

  Policy Committee at, 328

  political contributions by, 87, 88

  postbankruptcy, 155, 218, 409

  PRC at, 63–64, 91, 121, 154, 215, 279, 335, 345, 372

  preferred stock of, 156

  profits of, 27, 44–45, 47, 60–61, 85, 92–94, 104–5, 108, 130–31, 133, 176, 179, 204, 230, 282, 295, 313, 384, 388,

  403

  proxy statements of, 237–38, 322, 328

  public relations at, 262, 322, 326, 332, 339, 346, 352, 364, 371, 377, 384, 417

  reputation of, 76

  Research Group of, 192, 193

  retirement accounts and employee stock holdings, 241–42, 401, 414

  Risk Assessment and Control (RAC) at, 115–18, 129–30, 132, 141, 158, 181, 192–93, 195, 218, 220, 227, 246, 346, 373, 399

  risk-management manual of, 132, 133

  salaries and bonuses at, 138, 240–41,

  397–98, 414; see also specific

  individuals

  SEC filings of, 324, 354, 357, 394, 399–400, 401–2

  share buyback program at, 105

  shareholders in, 53, 380, 407, 409–10, 414

  skepticism toward, 321

  skyscraper built by, 239, 367, 378

  start-up mentality of, 372

  stock of, xxv, 85, 92–94, 98, 99, 102, 105, 109, 125–27, 150, 154, 156, 176, 187, 191, 192, 195, 220, 223, 229–45, 263, 288, 302, 306, 309, 313–14, 318, 320, 322–27, 329, 334, 336–38, 340, 342–56, 363–64, 366–67, 370, 371–72, 374–75, 378, 38
0, 385, 389, 391, 394, 395, 397, 401–3, 407, 409–10, 412, 415, 416, 420–21

  structured finance at, 149, 151

  tax-avoidance schemes of, 128–29, 289

  tax department at, 327

  tilted E logo of, 174

  trading at, 42, 43, 85, 125–26, 324,

  330–31

  transaction support at, 142

  unkept promises of, 183

  Washington public-affairs office of, 86

  water business of, see Azurix

  Enron Corporation board of directors, 68, 73, 124, 151, 220, 239, 277, 326, 366, 367

  audit committee of, 41, 115

  compensation committee of, 370

  Fastow’s finance vehicles and, 168, 169, 197–99, 200–201, 305, 306–7, 324, 376, 380, 393

  finance committee of, 198

  Lay and, 96–99, 314, 344–45, 349–50, 402–4, 415–16

  Mark and, 247, 253, 260–61

  Skilling’s resignation and, 342–43, 347

  Enron Corporation Bonus Plan, 404

  Enron Development, 70, 73–76, 80

  Enron Economic Development Corporation, 202

  Enron Energy Services (EES), 171–72, 175–84, 189, 213, 228, 255, 262, 263, 265, 299–304, 314, 321, 339, 346, 359, 364, 388, 396, 398, 404, 414, 417, 430

  bonus system at, 180

  commodity contracts at, 178

  energy management acquisitions of, 183

  layoffs at, 346, 353, 358–59

  losses at, 179, 300, 304, 333, 388, 416,

  421

  Potemkin Village of, 179–80, 242

  RAC task force at, 301

  risk management staff at, 181

  total energy outsource contracts at, 178

  trading desk at, 181, 300, 304

  Enron Europe, 73, 75, 103, 209, 216, 239, 388

  Enron Field, 86, 367

  Enron Finance, 35, 55–56

  Enron Gas Marketing, 34, 56, 60

  Enron Gas Services, 354

  Enron Global Finance, 133–34, 148, 150–52, 156, 158, 161, 163, 164, 166, 168, 170, 196, 198, 212, 229, 237, 239, 249, 304–5, 308–9, 316, 327, 330, 335, 355, 413

  Enron Global Power and Pipelines (EPP), 94–95, 132, 138

  Enron Industrial Markets, 355, 377

  Enron Intelligent Network, 187–88, 242, 286, 290

  Enron International (EI), 44, 76–84, 158, 246, 247, 248, 251, 258–63, 290, 315, 322, 326, 333, 354, 387, 396

  balance sheet of, 77, 94–95

  compensation and bonuses at, 78–79, 95, 111, 180

  Dabhol project of, 79–83, 94, 102, 260, 315, 340, 342, 353, 366, 373, 399, 409

  end of, 260–61

  government financing for, 88–89

  Shell’s negotiations with, 112

  “snowballing” at, 77, 95

  Enron Liquids Pipeline, 98

  Enron Media Services, 226

  Enron NetWorks, 211

  Enron North America, 186, 193, 207, 213, 274, 275, 309, 333, 388, 413

  Enron Oil, 15–25, 220

  bonuses at, 16, 17, 19

  corporate tax returns of, 24

  fake companies set up by, see Ilsa; Petropol; Southwest

  fraudulent accounting practices at, 21, 23

  profit shifting at, 18, 19, 21, 24

  scandal surrounding, 15, 47, 375

  Enron Oil and Gas (EOG), 93–94, 101, 108, 109, 126, 245

  public offering of, 94

  spinoff of, 109–10

  stock of, 219

  Enron Online (EOL), 221–24, 244, 379–80, 398, 403

  Enron Power, 52, 53, 73, 96

  “Enron Prepares to Become Easier to Read” (Smith and Emshwiller), 360

  Enron Prize for Distinguished Public Service, xxiv, 240

  Enron Services Handbook, 271

  Enron West Power trading desk, 266, 269, 271–76, 278–79, 282–83, 300, 309, 339

  Enron Wholesale, 276, 299, 300, 303, 334–35, 339, 387–88, 405

  Enron Xcelerator, 302, 334

  EOG, see Enron Oil and Gas

  EPP, see Enron Global Power and Pipelines

  equity analysts, 237, 340

  equity investors, 189–90, 365

  equity markets, 150, 154

  equity offerings, 235

  ERNB (Enron’s Rhythms Net Bet), 194

  Ernst & Young, 148

  EterniTV, 343, 344

  Euromoney, 140

  Evans, Donald, 385

  Everglades, 254

  Export-Import Bank, 74, 88–89

  Exxon, 1, 5, 6, 7, 241

  ExxonMobil, xxv, 241

  fair market values, 205

  Fallon, Jim, xiv, 334–35, 337, 404

  FAS 125, 293

  FAS 140, 157

  Fastow, Andrew, xiii, xxiii, xxiv, 122, 131, 133–41, 143, 152, 156, 214, 227, 237, 264, 334, 335, 343, 347, 355, 357–58, 390, 425, 428

  Azurix deal of, see Marlin

  background and education of, 134

  Baxter’s concerns about, 152, 163, 333, 356, 408

  children of, 139, 170

  complex deals of, 133, 151, 155–56, 192, 383

  COO aspirations of, 353, 359

  deals of, 230, 251

  early career of, 136

  earnings and wealth of, 138, 165, 169–70, 201, 212, 313, 328, 362, 365–66, 376, 381, 414

  on EES board, 184

  EES financing and, 175–76, 182

  as Enron CFO, 136, 140–41, 143, 150–56, 189–90, 198, 200, 209, 311, 322–23, 329–30, 345, 353, 357, 360–62, 373–74, 379, 384–85

  Enron’s dependence on, 189

  equity offering proposed by, 150

  financial structures and deals created by, 141, 229

  firing as CFO of, 377–78, 380–81, 387,

  391

  Fortune interview with, 322

  as head of corporate development, 328–29, 354

  homes of, 294, 354, 365

  indictments of, 411–12

  insecurity of, 139

  interpersonal skills of, 138

  investment banks and, 163–64, 165

  JEDI and, 67

  LJM consequences for, 371–77

  LJM sale of, 329–30, 353, 360

  performance reviews of, 138

  personal investments of, 165–70

  personality of, 139–40

  private equity funds of, see LJM

  Project Raptor and, see Project Raptor

  in retail-energy business, 138–39, 172

  Rhythms deal and, 191–97

  risk-control alien to, 140

  SEC investigation and, 371–72

  self-compensation schemes of, 134

  Southampton scheme of, see Southampton Place partnership

  structured finance deals of, see Special purpose entities

  Wall Street Journal article and, 370–71

  Fastow, Carl, 134

  Fastow, Jeffrey, 139, 189, 365, 380

  Fastow, Joan, 134

  Fastow, Lea, xiv, 134–35, 152, 166, 168, 334, 361, 377, 380, 414–15

  at Enron, 137, 139

  on Enron art committee, 365

  government charges against, 412

  as heiress, 138, 365

  and SPEs, 167, 170, 189

  Fastow, Matthew, 189, 365, 380

  Fastow, Peter, 364, 365, 371

  Fastow Family Foundation, 170, 196, 206, 365

  Fat Boy, 269, 274, 276, 335

  FBI, xxi, 5, 408, 418, 422

  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), 167, 223–24, 270, 271, 273–74, 276–80, 335

  Federal Power Commission, 6

  Fergus, Gary, 275–76

  Fewell, Melanie, 301–2

  Feygin, Anatol, xvi, 341

  fiber-optic system, 185, 187–88, 288

  Fidelity, 319, 340

  Fifth Amendment, xxiii, 416

  Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), 142, 144, 323

  First Boston, see Credit Suisse First Boston
<
br />   First Call, 231

  First City National Bank, 30, 73

  FirstPoint Communications, 185

  First United Methodist Church, 385, 423

  First Union, 202, 343

  Fitch, 238, 323, 380, 394, 403

  Fleischer, David, xvi, 179, 229, 243, 259, 314, 323, 325, 375

  Florida, 254

  as major market, 10, 11

  Florida Gas Company, 6–8, 10, 11, 19, 25, 46

  Fluckiger, Kellan, 278

  Forbes, 32, 72, 83, 94, 98, 234

  Fortune, xxiv, 83, 94, 105, 111, 116, 239, 253, 278, 291, 321–23, 332

  50 Most Powerful Women in Business, 253

  Fortune 500, 137, 326

  forwards, 37

  Foster, Joe, 402–3

  Fountainhead, The (Rand), 214

  France, 248–49, 256

  fraud, 276, 410–20, 422

  Freeman, Charles, 388

  Freeman, David, 281

  free market, 2, 3, 48, 74, 89, 167, 172, 216, 264, 267

  freight trading, 225, 396

  FRENDS, 136–37

  Frevert, Mark, xiv, 359, 361–62, 391

  Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, 329

  Friends of Enron, 166, 167, 189, 364

  front-end loaded earnings, 230

  Frontline, 281, 428

  fuel-supply contracts, 158

  Furst, Robert, xvii, 200, 207–8, 381

  GAAP (general accepted accounting principles), 142–43, 160, 161, 163, 408

  Garcia, Kim, 180

  Garten, Jeffrey, 83

  gas, 50, 131, 172, 177, 178, 240

  see also natural gas

  Gas Bank, 33–37, 137, 212

  Gas Daily, 227

  Gates, Bill, 230

  Gathmann, Bill, 152

  Gaza Strip, 258

  GE Capital, 180

  General Electric, 46, 53, 67, 74, 81, 132, 133, 230, 314

  George (robotrader), 216–17

  Gerstner, Lou, 31, 32

  Get Shorty, 270, 274, 282

  Gibney, Alex, 426

  Gieselman, Scott, xvii, 378–79, 387

  Giga information group, 244

  Glass-Steagall Act, 162

  Glisan, Ben, xiv, 152–53, 156, 159, 161, 168, 169, 212, 237, 260, 279, 304–7, 315, 340, 346, 366, 371, 375, 377, 388, 394, 400, 412, 413–14, 420–21

  as Fastow confidant, 152, 154

  LJM and, 196–97, 198, 211, 306, 307, 309, 311, 364, 412

  performance review of, 154

  Global Crossing, 188

  Global Finance, see Enron Global Finance

  Global Galactic agreement, 205

  Global Water Reporter, 247

  Goldman Sachs, 50, 109, 126, 164, 179, 222, 229, 234, 243, 259, 314, 321, 323, 325, 375, 378–79, 387, 401, 427

  Goldman family, 417

  Gorbachev, Mikhail, 240

  Gordon, Rick, xvii, 234–35, 313

  Gore, Al, 88

  grain futures, 226

  Gramm, Phil, 87, 96, 280

  Gramm, Wendy, xiv, 96, 280

 

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