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Enron Corp. - University of California | Office of The President

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621. <strong>The</strong> true effect <strong>of</strong> "early settlement" and the undisclosed triggers was that <strong>Enron</strong> was<br />

betting over 100 million shares <strong>of</strong> its own stock against market volatility and was multiplying, not<br />

reducing, the Company's risk. To disclose this about the LJM2/Raptors' triggers (among others)<br />

would mean revelation <strong>of</strong> the fact that <strong>Enron</strong>'s hedging activities were not only bogus – the risk had<br />

not been truly hedged – but also that the purported hedging transactions had actually increased the<br />

risks to <strong>Enron</strong>, not reduced them. <strong>The</strong> banks and Vinson & Elkins had structured and prepared the<br />

documents for the bogus hedging transactions. Simply stated, those on the inside knew that the<br />

stock price issuance triggers were toxic for <strong>Enron</strong>.<br />

622. For example, in a 6/01 meeting between <strong>Enron</strong> managers and two CS First Boston<br />

managing directors – six weeks before the filing <strong>of</strong> the Registration Statement for <strong>Enron</strong>'s zero<br />

coupon convertible notes – CS First Boston discussed with <strong>Enron</strong> its amazement at the statements<br />

<strong>Enron</strong> was making in light <strong>of</strong> the undisclosed dire circumstances presented by the triggers in <strong>Enron</strong>'s<br />

bogus hedging transactions. At that time, CS First Boston's managing directors stated, "How can<br />

you guys keep doing this?" – referring to <strong>Enron</strong>'s repeated statements to the market that its stock was<br />

undervalued. CS First Boston's managing directors continued that even at $40 per share, <strong>Enron</strong>'s<br />

stock was still overvalued in their view: "Do employees actually believe it's worth what<br />

management is saying?" (At that time, <strong>Enron</strong>'s stock was trading at approximately $48.50.) <strong>The</strong> CS<br />

First Boston managing directors added, "You guys are at a critical price point right now," referring<br />

to the bogus Raptors hedges, and stated that if <strong>Enron</strong>'s stock continued to fall, that would cause<br />

Raptor to unwind and the massive credit support provided by <strong>Enron</strong> to come due. CS First Boston's<br />

managing directors asked the <strong>Enron</strong> managers, "Do you know how much <strong>of</strong>f-balance sheet debt you<br />

[<strong>Enron</strong>] have?" When the <strong>Enron</strong> replied that they thought it was around one to two billion dollars,<br />

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