Feb 4, 2008

The 19 biggest trading scams

Company: Societe Generale (2008) Detail: Lost 4.9 billion euros ($7.2 billion) before taxes after trader went beyond permitted limits on European stock index futures.

Company: Bank of Montreal (2007) Detail: Wrong-way bets on natural gas led to a pretax loss of about C$680 million ($663 million).

Company: Amaranth Advisors LLC (2006) Detail: Trader Brian Hunter's bad bets on natural gas triggered $6.6 billion of losses.

Company: Refco Inc. (2005) Detail: Declared bankruptcy after hiding $430 million of debt

Company: China Aviation Oil (2004) Detail: Lost $550 million on (Singapore) Corp. speculative oil-futures trades, forcing debt restructuring.

Company: Allied Irish Banks Plc (2002) Detail: Trader hid $691 million in currency market losses.

Company: Plains All American (1999) Detail: Lost $160 million because of Pipeline LP unauthorized crude-oil trading by an employee.

Company: Long-Term Capital (1998) Detail: Lost $4 billion after a debt Management default by Russia

Company: Peregrine Investments (1998) Detail: Collapsed from at least Holdings Ltd. $300 million of debt bought from insolvent companies.

Company: National Westminster (1997) Detail: Disclosed $125 million charge Bank Plc to cover options-trading loss.

Company: Deutsche Morgan (1996) Detail: Fired fund manager Peter Young Grenfell for unauthorized trading and paid $279 million to bail out investors.

Company: Sumitomo Corp. (1996) Detail: Disclosed a $2.6 billion loss on unauthorized copper trades by Yasuo Hamanaka.

Company: Daiwa Bank (1995) Detail: Disclosed a $1.1 billion loss from unauthorized trades.

Company: Barings Plc (1995) Detail: Collapsed after trader Nick Leeson racked up $1.4 billion in losses.

Company: Orange County (1994) Detail: Lost $1.7 billion from debt California and derivatives used to expand its investment fund.

Company: Kidder Peabody & Co. (1994) Detail: Took a $210 million charge to reflect what it said were false bond trading profits by trader Joseph Jett.

Company: Codelco (1994) Trader Juan Pablo Davila lost more than $200 million speculating on copper

Company: Metallgesellschaft AG (1993) Detail: Lost more than $1.5 billion trading oil futures contracts
Company: Drexel Burnham (1990) Detail: Filed for bankruptcy after Lambert Inc. pleading guilty to charges of insider trading and stock manipulation.

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