The Enron Scandal - 854 Words

The Enron Scandal Background Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 20,000 staff and was one of the world s leading electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion in 2000.[1] Fortune named Enron America s Most Innovative Company for six consecutive years. At the end of 2001, it was revealed that its reported financial condition was sustained substantially by institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud, known as the Enron scandal. Financial Frauds Enron’s downfall is basically the accumulated effect of its†¦show more content†¦Mark-to-Market Accounting Mark-to-market accounting requires that once a long-term contract was signed, income was estimated as the present value of net future cash flows. Often, the viability of these contracts and their related costs were difficult to judge. Due to the large discrepancies of attempting to match profits and cash, investors were typically given false or misleading reports. While using the method, income from projects could be recorded, although they might not have ever received the money, and in turn increasing financial earnings on the books Because of these utilization of aggressive revenue recognition and mark-to-market accounting , Enron s revenues increased by more than 750% between 1996 to 2000, rising from $13.3 billion in 1996 to $100.8 billion in 2000. This extensive expansion of 65% per year was unprecedented in any industry, including the energy industry which typically considered growth of 2–3% per year to be respectable. For just the first nine months of 2001, Enron reported $138.7 billion in revenues, which placed the company at the sixth position on the Fortune Global 500. Special Purpose Entities Enron used special purpose entities—limited partnerships or companies created to fulfill a temporary or specific purpose—to fund or manage risks associated with specific assets. The company elected to disclose minimal details on its use ofShow MoreRelatedEnron And The Enron Scandal847 Words   |  4 PagesThe Enron scandal, discovered in October 2001, eventually led to the bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation, an American energy company based mostly in Houston, Texas, and also the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, that was one amongst the 5 largest audit and accounting partnerships within the world. Additionally, to being the most important bankruptcy reorganization in American history at that point, Enron without doubt is the biggest audit failure. it s ever the foremost notable company within theRead MoreEnron Scandal2929 Words   |  12 PagesLaw and Management Book Review Enron, Titanic and The Perfect Storm - Nancy B. 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Enron became a company that was able to profit by providing deliveries of gas to utility companies and businesses. As the deregulation of electric power rose, Enron diversified the business and entered into an energy broker, which traded electricity and other types of commodities. Enron employed several highly qualified PHDs in mathematics, physics, and economics. Enron continued to enter into contracts with customers and utilizedRead MoreThe Enron Corporation Scandal 1791 Words   |  7 PagesIDENTIFY THE ACCOUNTING PRACTICES THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCOUNTING SCANDAL. The Enron Corporation failures made world headlines for many reasons ranging from greed from its executives, the alleged malpractice and criminal behaviours, and its quick and disastrous collapse. The most critical factor in Enron’s melt down was the use of creative and manipulative accounting practices to distort reported proï ¬ tability and indebtedness that befell the corporation (A. Holt and T. Eccles, 2002) TheRead MoreThe Enron Scandal Essay619 Words   |  3 PagesThe Enron Scandal In a front-page article with no less than four by-lines (7/03, Enron Triggers a Slew of Proposed Fixes But What Will Stick? by Steve Liesman et al.), The Wall Street Journal reports, As more than 10 congressional committees pursue inquiries, 32 Enron-related bills have been introduced to address ills ranging from auditor conflicts of interest to the scams of an unregulated derivatives market. The Securities and Exchange Commission pledges to reform accounting rules, getRead MoreThe Enron Scandal Of The United States1855 Words   |  8 PagesThe Enron Scandal is still viewed today as one of the largest corporate bankruptcies in history. The greed that spilled throughout the organization started with gradual disregard for basic accounting principles. Initiated by small discrepancies in the company financial system became extreme financial crimes that left many without jobs and many investors penniless. The Enron scandal led to legislation that tightened restrictions on accounting prac tices in the U.S. requiring more strict compliance