Enron’s reality began and ended with hitting the target. And so, when the realization took place that the company was falling short, its executives undertook a desperate scramble to fill the holes in the company’s earnings. At Enron, that’s what they called earnings shortfalls—“holes.” Calls went out from Skilling and chief accounting officer Rick Causey to the heads of the various company businesses. “We need an extra $15 million!” What rabbits could they pull out of their hats?
