When Enron purchased the Joint Energy Development Investments (JEDI) in 1997, Enron began its demise as one of the most profitable companies in the world.  Together with Arthur Andersen LLP, Enron concealed its debts from a multitude of failed acquisitions and deals using a variety of complex transactions and fraudulent reporting in order to appear profitable.  However, these illicit and unethical activities could not be sustained and eventually Enron stock began to lose value rapidly: falling from approximately $90 a share to less than $1 over the course of one year, totaling a loss of $11 billion for company shareholders.  As Time Magazine reported at the time, “it’s clear that many people involved had spotted warning signs of Enron’s accounting malfeasance long before the company’s downfall.”  It turned out that Time Magazine’s hypothesis was correct, and many high-ranking Enron officials not only knew about the illegal practices, but contributed to them as well.  This failure to adhere to ethical and legal boundaries led to one of the most embarrassing moments in recent history for Fortune 500 companies and will hopefully be kept as an example for young business students such as myself to learn what not to do.