2001
$66 billion in pre-filing assets
The high-flying energy company made billions trading esoteric derivatives until insiders blew the whistle on Enron's massive accounting fraud — prompting a bankruptcy filing that rocked the U.S. financial world. The company was instantly devalued and thousands of employees were laid off, their pensions evaporated. Executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were both convicted of fraud and other charges, although Lay died before being sentenced.