Rogue Trader is based on the story of Nick Leeson, the trader in charge of Barings Bank's Singapore operations in the mid-1990s. Leeson gained infamy after he lost $1.6 billion of the bank's money, forcing England's oldest merchant bank into liquidation. Leeson had been hiding his trading losses from the firm and was eventually sent to prison in Singapore for fraud.
Ewan McGregor turns in a fantastic performance as the terrified, brash gambler, and this is definitely compelling cinema. But for investors and followers of financial malfeasance, it's even more interesting.
Leeson's crimes and the failure of Barings Bank were made possible by extremely poor internal controls -- the same problems that led to the collapse of companies like Enron and Worldcom. In addition, a compensation structure that rewarded Leeson's risky gambling with the bank's money, even though it was illegal, was also a key contributor.
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