Acquired
Enron
Every company has a story.
Learn the playbooks that built the world’s greatest companies — and how you can apply them.
Show Notes
The FTX fraud has dominated headlines now for weeks, during which we’ve debated if and how Acquired could uniquely add to the conversation. Then we realized there was an angle so perfect that we had to drop everything and enter Acquired research overdrive: Enron. Travel back with us to the granddaddy fraud of them all, 2001’s then-largest bankruptcy in US history and the impetus for the famous Sarbanes-Oxley Act. So much of Enron’s history parallels FTX that the uncanniness is almost unbelievable — right down to the same CEO running the two bankruptcies. Sit back and enjoy this crazy tale of villainy, greed, and the nature of humans and money. Maybe just don’t take notes on this one…
Sponsors:
WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25
Intapp: https://bit.ly/intappceleste
Sentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentry
Anthropic: https://bit.ly/acquiredclaude25
More Acquired!
Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes
Join the Slack
Subscribe to ACQ2
Merch Store!
© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLC
Links:
Book Andy Fastow as a speaker for your next corporate event! 🤔
Episode sources
Carve outs!:
Enron: The Musical
Andor
Brooks Addiction Walkers
Hoka Slides
JCal on the Tim Ferriss Show
Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.
Transcript not yet processed.
Sign in to unlock (1 credit)
Free to start
Full transcripts, AI insights,
Full transcripts, AI insights,
episode chat — free.
Sign up with Google in one click. 10 unlock credits included. No card needed.
Google sign-in · No credit card · Cancel anytime