Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Skilling: How Enron's Public Image Morphed from the Most Innovative Company in the Fortune 500 to the Most Notorious Company Ever

ENRON: CORPORATE FIASCOS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS, Foundation Press 2004

18 Pages Posted: 24 Feb 2004

See all articles by Jeffrey D. Van Niel

Jeffrey D. Van Niel

Independent

Nancy B. Rapoport

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law

Abstract

In this article, we explore the hypothesis that Enron's financial releases were so complex and misleading that no one could have predicted its rapid downfall, and we find that, contrary to our hypothesis, a number of people were contradicting Enron's own rosy view of itself long before the middle of 2001. We then talk about the ways in which Enron became part of the public consciousness, far beyond what it had done merely as a business entity.

Keywords: Enron, Corporate Law, Accounting, Media, Culture

JEL Classification: D73, G10, G14, G30, K22, K42, L2, L32, M14, M4

Suggested Citation

Van Niel, Jeffrey D. and Rapoport, Nancy B., Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Skilling: How Enron's Public Image Morphed from the Most Innovative Company in the Fortune 500 to the Most Notorious Company Ever. ENRON: CORPORATE FIASCOS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS, Foundation Press 2004, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=505662

Jeffrey D. Van Niel

Independent ( email )

530 Farrington Court
Las Vegas, NV 89123-0622
United States
832-541-4888 (Phone)
702-895-0459 (Fax)

Nancy B. Rapoport (Contact Author)

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law ( email )

4505 S. Maryland Parkway
Box 451003
Las Vegas, NV 89154-1003
United States
713-202-1881 (Phone)
702-895-2482 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.unlv.edu

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