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

by Bethany McLean

One day, Hecker wrote a parody, which he showed to a few colleagues. Sung to the tune of “Hotel California,” he called it the “Hotel Kenneth-Lay-a”: Welcome to the Hotel Mark-to-Market Such a lovely face Such a fragile place They livin’ it up at the Hotel Cram-It-Down-Ya When the suits arrive, bring your alibis Mirrors on the 10-K, makes it look real nice And she said, we only make disclosures here Of our own device And in the partners’ chambers Cooking up a new deal 3% in an SPE But they just can’t make it real Last thing I remember I was running for the doors I had to find the entries back To the GAAP we had before “Relax,” said the client “We are programmed to succeed You can audit any time you like But we will never bleed”