Enron

Big Business

Lehman = Enron?

By Research Team at March 12, 2010 - 8:37pm

The New York Times is equating Lehman Brothers with Enron:

The bankruptcy examiner’s report filed by Anton R. Valukas on the 2008 demise of Lehman Brothers discusses some accounting gimmicks that are eerily reminiscent of how Enron tried to prop up its balance sheet back in 2001 before it collapsed.

Both companies appear to have played right along the edge of properly accounting for transactions designed to make them appear much stronger than they turned out to be, becoming steadily more aggressive as they teetered on the brink of ruin.

How many other Wall Street banksters and corporate con men are using shady accounting practices to protect their house of cards? Time will tell.