Enron's board · 1999
The Partnership Vote
The star CFO wants to run side companies that trade with yours. The board votes tonight.
- Ages
- 16 to 18
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Shape
- 3 decisions and a defense
Part 2 of 3 in the series Holding It Together
The situation
In 1999, Enron's chief financial officer proposed running outside partnerships that would do business with Enron, while he stayed CFO. The company's code of conduct normally forbade it.
Executives were paid largely in stock. Traders earned bonuses on deals when they were signed. The company's auditor also earned consulting fees from Enron close to its audit fees.
Your teen sits on the board, then in other seats, and decides what to check when everyone in the room wants growth.
The background and the choices come from the historical record. What really happened is shown only after your teen writes a defense.
What it builds
Seeing how incentives shape what each person checks, and designing a safeguard that works even then.
Weighing trade-offs
Names what is gained and lost for each option and chooses on purpose.
Seeing ripple effects
Traces second- and third-order effects through the system.
Making a clear argument
A clear claim, reasons, and an answer to the best counter-argument.
Seeing other sides
Explains how other players see it and predicts their moves.
Subjects it touches: Business, Economics, Ethics. It sits beside your core curriculum; it doesn't replace it.
Try the first decision
A short preview. It has no AI and saves nothing. Want two minutes with the background first? Try a mission free
Decision 1 of 3 · Preview, no AI, nothing saved
It is mid-1999. The CFO wants to run two partnerships that would trade with the company while he remains CFO. The board must vote on an exception to the code of conduct. Some directors want to move fast; others want more structure first.
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