The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron

by Bethany McLean

A series of slides then recast popular films to portray the exploits of several of the EBS executives who’d worked on the Blockbuster deal. One of them was called “Mike Krautz and The Search for the Holy Monetization.” “Mike scours the globe in search of the holy mark-to-market—I mean monetization,” the narrative read. “This monetization is supposed to bring everlasting life, but Mike soon discovers that his immortality lasts for only one quarter.” Another slide offered up a variation on Thelma & Louise, starring two EBS employees: “After Kevin tells them that they are responsible for unwinding the Blockbuster deal next quarter, the two decide to make a run for the border. In the end, they both drive over a cliff, choosing the more attractive exit strategy.” Blockbuster’s inability to obtain first-run videos inspired the casting of Kevin Howard as Forrest Gump (“A monetization effort is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”), with a buddy who “has all kinds of content—‘kids’ movies, action movies, animal movies, home movies, shrimp movies, just no hit movies.’ ”