Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of the White-Collar Criminal

Format:Print

Abstract

From the financial fraudsters of Enron, to the embezzlers at Tyco, to the Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff, the failings of corporate titans are regular fixtures in the news. But what drives wealthy and powerful people to white-collar crime? I draw from extensive personal interaction and correspondence with nearly fifty former executives as well as research in psychology, criminology, and economics to investigate how once-celebrated executives become white-collar criminals.