Scott Tucker (B): The Feds Catch Up

The case tells the story of the rise and fall of Scott Tucker, an entrepreneur, businessman, passionate race car driver, competitor, and owner of a professional racing team. From 1997 to 2012, Tucker built a nationwide network of payday lending businesses, becoming a pioneer in online lending along the way. Many of his borrowers depended on payday loans as a lifeline in dire times—a pricy-yet-reliable source of cash to pay bills and cope with emergency expenses. However, Tucker’s reign came to an end in 2012 when federal prosecutors indicted Tucker on several criminal charges, including the violation of disclosure laws. This (B) case completes the narrative, describing the outcomes of the legal cases and consequences for Tucker and his businesses.

This case allows students to discuss the role of individual executives in the corporate governance process, and how the regulatory-level, firm-level, and personal levers of governance may interact to create trust in markets. The case also allows discussions of the importance of effective communication of information by management to help facilitate the decision-making of various stakeholders (such as investors, employees, and customers).