My thoughts on…Ken Lay’s death
July 12th 2006 -
Greed, the most prevalent of the Seven Deadly Sins, especially in the corporate world. In their relentless pursuit of wealth, some CEO’s violate the very same ethics they expect their employees to uphold. There are very few examples of corporate greed than that involving Enron, once the world’s largest energy trader. The perpetrators, Jeff Skilling and Ken Lay, were awaiting conviction after a May 25 guilty verdict.
But Lay died last week of a heart attack, effectively escaping the clutches of Johnny Law. And as much as this is a loss for the Lay family, this could work to Skilling’s advantage. Lay’s death may void his conviction, as the evidence against him comes from a now non-existent case. Lay’s family may also benefit, as the feds are now unable to pursue the seizure of Lay’s assets. His memorial was held on Sunday. He was praised as a philanthropist, father and husband. No surprise, because people always find something good to say when you’re dead, even if you’re a low-down, dirty crook.
But as the corporate world mourns Lay’s death, I can’t shake the feeling that this is some sort of conspiracy. It seems a little fishy that he would die right before his conviction and that his death would work so well in favour of Skilling and his family. He could be sipping pina coladas on an island he bought with his ill-gotten gains for all we know. And why not? It’s not like it’s beneath him or anything. Some of you may be angry at me, for using his death to indulge in a conspiracy theory. But if you’re gonna pass judgment on me, there’s a few thousand people you missed, as many in the blogosphere felt the same way. To silence the naysayers, Linda Lay has released photos of her husband’s body. Big deal. Anyone can play dead. But I digress. Rest in peace Mr. Lay (if you really are dead anyway).
Related Posts:
- My thoughts on…Bob Woolmer’s death
- My thoughts on…Bernie Mac’s death
- My thoughts on…the death of the Halo movie
- My thoughts on…Charles Hyatt’s death
- My thoughts on…Neville Willoughby’s death
MrManuel Says:
July 12th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
That all makes sense to me, I’ll buy into it….
Maritza Says:
July 12th, 2006 at 5:59 pm
If there’s a closed casket at the funeral, then I’m sold on the conspiracy theory. I picture him in Cuba, drinking daiquiris with Fidel and Osama Bin Laden laughing at the Americans. What Ken Lay did was terrible and as bad as any act of terrorism. Did you know that he was also responsible for the blackouts in California which put many people in grave danger? Don’t get me started on this man.
Jdid Says:
July 12th, 2006 at 7:34 pm
isnt it amazing that you can do something so evil and people can still find good stuff to say about you. I guess its all about spin
carrie Says:
July 13th, 2006 at 12:58 am
interesting.
flic Says:
July 13th, 2006 at 2:16 pm
Probably conspiracy. But he’s dead. Others around him knew how good this would play out. Perhaps Ken Lay knew too and so went along for the fall (for the sake of his family!) Imagine that!
Scratchie Says:
July 13th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
It’s one of those things that we’ll never know for sure…
UH2L Says:
July 13th, 2006 at 4:51 pm
Corporations (and their executives) have a much higher capacity to do harm than individuals. That’s why I believe in personal freedom and corporate regulation. It’s funny because if you think of a company as a family, when an executive is embezzling, it’s comparable to parents of a family stealing from the children.
Abeni Says:
July 13th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
Lol,not a bad conspiracy theory.Move over Elvis-Ken Lay sightings are the new hobby