The WorldCom Fraud
How did a scandal destroy the world's telecom titan?
4.7 (31)
43 mins
Explore the dramatic rise and catastrophic fall of WorldCom, a telecommunications titan that once controlled half of America’s internet traffic. Discover how aggressive acquisitions, corporate greed, and an eleven-billion-dollar accounting fraud dragged the company into the largest bankruptcy in US history.
Ep 1:
From Coffee Shop to Telecom Titan
Discover how WorldCom rose from a scrappy Mississippi coffee-shop startup, driven by cowboy CEO Bernie Ebbers, into a $175 billion telecom empire built on relentless acquisitions.
Ep 2:
The Slippery Slope to $11 Billion in Lies
As WorldCom's stock faltered, executives began quietly rewriting the numbers—turning a small correction into an $11 billion fraud while auditors and a debt-laden CEO looked away.
Ep 3:
The Auditor Who Uncovered Her Own Company
Internal auditor Cynthia Cooper begins pulling late-night threads that unravel WorldCom's fraud, exposing confessions, forced resignations, and a $30 billion collapse that stuns Congress.
Ep 4:
Handcuffs, Verdicts, and the Fall of an Empire
Justice finally arrives as executives face prison, the company's name vanishes, and WorldCom's wreckage reshapes American corporate law forever.
Discussions (5)
Remy
Level 10 · 3 weeks agoheard Ebbers was out here counting toilet paper rolls at his motels but somehow had no idea about $11 billion in fake earnings... sure Bernie sure
Kathleen
Level 8 · 3 weeks agoEbbers not knowing about the accounting details is actually believable to me. Sullivan had every reason to hide it.
Reginald
Level 8 · 3 weeks agoAndersen missed way more than just this
