Disconnected : Deceit and Betrayal at WorldCom

by Lynne W. Jeter

• ISBN13: 9780471647478
• ISBN10: 0471647470
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-01
• Publisher: WILEY

Summary

The first inside look into the fall of the telecom industry pioneer Disconnected is the first book to tell the tale of the once powerful telecom pioneer whose corporate scandal eclipses the Enron fiasco. During the summer of 2002, WorldCom, once a leading carrier of Internet traffic, filed the largest bankruptcy claim in American history due to accounting errors totaling over $7 billion-and now finds itself on the brink of corporate extinction. Disconnected offers an engaging account of what really went wrong at WorldCom and why no one saw this corporate collapse coming. Author and award-winning journalist Lynn Jeter has been covering WorldCom since 1984 and provides a one-of-a-kind look into the inner workings of this global telecom giant. Readers will take a front row seat as Jeter explores the personalities and factors that led to WorldCom's rise and dramatic fall-such as the failed Sprint merger in 2000 and the revelation in June 2002 of their overstatement in earnings. Digging deep to uncover the mistakes, missteps, and outright unethical behavior that engulfed WorldCom, Disconnected also takes a closer look at former CEO Bernie Ebbers who was on the frontline during the years leading up to this corporate debacle. Disconnected: Deceit and Betrayal at WorldCom gives readers the most telling account of a one-time industry giant. Lynne W. Jeter (Hattiesburg, MS) has been the primary WorldCom reporter for the only statewide business journal in Mississippi (home of WorldCom headquarters), The Mississippi Business Journal. Jeter has closely followed the company's rise and fall since its inception as LDDS in 1983. As a native Mississippian, Jeter has a solid knowledge of the unique business climate of the Deep South and access to a wealth of information and contacts that no other reporter could possess on this topic.

Author Biography

<b>LYNNE W. JETER</b> has been the primary WorldCom reporter for the only statewide business journal in Mississippi (home of WorldCom HQ), the Mississippi Business Journal. Jeter has closely followed the company&#8217;s rise and fall since its inception as LDDS in 1983. As a native Mississippian, Jeter has a solid knowledge of the unique business climate of the Deep South and access to a wealth of information and contacts that no other reporter could possess on this topic. She is also a regular contributing reporter for the Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi&#8217;s largest daily newspaper. Jeter was named SBA Small Business Journalist of the Year for Mississippi in 1999.

Table of Contents

Connecting the Pipes: A WorldCom Time Line	p. iii
Prologue	p. xvii
Migrating South	p. 1
Information, Please	p. 17
The Spending Spree	p. 29
The Power Surge	p. 45
The Ultimate Drug	p. 59
Masterstroke	p. 75
The Honeymoon Is Over	p. 93
The Courting of Sprint	p. 113
Hockey, Pals, and the Farm	p. 135
Pink Slipped	p. 149
The Worst Job in Corporate America	p. 163
That Dog Don't Hunt	p. 181
Hoodwinked	p. 193
Infectious Greed	p. 207
Disconnected	p. 213
Epilogue	p. 219
Afterword	p. 223
Notes and Sources	p. 225
Acknowledgments	p. 239
About the Author	p. 241
Index	p. 243
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