Jeffrey Skilling Biography

(Businessman)

Birthday: November 25, 1953 (Sagittarius)

Born In: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Jeffrey Skilling is a former American businessman and the former CEO of energy and services company, Enron Corporation. In 2006, he was found guilty of federal felony and charged for false audit presentations, insider trading, conspiracy, etc. His acts led to the eventual collapse of Enron Corporation. Jeffrey joined Enron Corporation in 1990 when he was hired by Kenneth Lay who too, would later be convicted. Within a few years, Jeffrey replaced Lay to become the Chief Operating Officer of Enron and gained control over the company’s non-public information. His positive attitude and aggressiveness helped his firm become ‘America’s Most Innovative Company’. However, in 2001, the company experienced a sudden downfall and the situation only worsened due to the California electricity crisis. Jeffrey decided to resign and also sold his stake worth $60 million. Later in the year, the company faced bankruptcy and Skilling, along with Kenneth Lay, was accused of conspiracy. In 2006, Skilling was convicted of 35 offences and sentenced to 24 years and four months in prison. He was also ordered to cough up a fine of $45 million. In 2013, the Justice Department reduced Skilling's jail term by a decade.
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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Jeffrey Keith Skilling

Age: 70 Years, 70 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Rebecca Carter (m. 2002), Susan Long (m. 1975–1997)

father: Thomas Ethelbert Skilling, Jr.

mother: Betty Skilling

siblings: Tom Skilling

children: John Taylor Skilling

CEOs American Men

U.S. State: Pennsylvania

City: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • 1

    What is Jeffrey Skilling known for?

    Jeffrey Skilling is known for being the former CEO of Enron Corporation, a major energy company that collapsed in 2001 due to accounting fraud.
  • 2

    What was Jeffrey Skilling's role in the Enron scandal?

    Jeffrey Skilling was one of the key figures in the Enron scandal, as he was the CEO when the company engaged in fraudulent accounting practices that led to its downfall.
  • 3

    Was Jeffrey Skilling convicted for his role in the Enron scandal?

    Yes, Jeffrey Skilling was convicted in 2006 on multiple counts of securities fraud, insider trading, and conspiracy related to the Enron scandal. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
  • 4

    Did Jeffrey Skilling appeal his conviction?

    Yes, Jeffrey Skilling appealed his conviction, and in 2013, a federal appeals court vacated some of his convictions and reduced his sentence. He was resentenced to 14 years in prison.
  • 5

    Has Jeffrey Skilling been released from prison?

    Yes, Jeffrey Skilling was released from prison in 2019 after serving approximately 12 years of his 14-year sentence.
Childhood & Early Life
Jeffrey Keith Skilling was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 25, 1953. He was born to Betty and Thomas Ethelbert Skilling Jr. He was raised along with three siblings.
He grew up in New Jersey and Illinois. His father worked as a sales manager, while his elder brother went on to become the chief meteorologist at WGN-TV.
Jeffrey attended West Aurora High School in Illinois. He started working at a television station called WLXT while he was still studying in his high school. He was only 16 when he took up his first job.
Since he was a gifted learner, he received a full scholarship to attend Southern Methodist University in Texas. He majored in Applied Science at the university.
After graduating from the university, he was sent to Harvard Business School by a Houston bank, where he worked right after his graduation.
In 1979, he completed his MBA from Harvard. He was one of the brightest students in his class and graduated as a Baker Scholar.
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Early Career
Jeffrey started working as a consultant at McKinsey & Company under energy and chemical practices. He went on to become one of the youngest partners of McKinsey.
He then started working for Enron and quickly climbed the ladder of success at the company.
Career at Enron Corporation
While he was working at McKinsey & Company, Skilling got an opportunity to work on a project for Enron. His skills and his understanding of how energy works impressed Kenneth Lay, the then CEO and Chairman of the company.
Lay offered Skilling the position of Chairman and Chief Executing Officer of Enron Finance Corp.
In 1991, Skilling went on to become the chairman of Enron Gas Services Company. A few months later, he was also named the CEO and Chairman of Enron Capital & Trade Resources which was a subsidiary of Enron.
After working at Enron for seven years, Skilling finally became the President and CEO of the entire corporation. This made him the second most powerful man in the corporation.
Skilling soon turned Enron into the largest wholesaler of gas and electricity in the USA. His investment strategy, along with his adoption of mark-to-market accounting, contributed immensely to the growth of the company.
As a result, Skilling replaced Lay in February 2001 to become the most powerful man of Enron. He received $132 million in a single year as the CEO of his company.
On August 14, 2001, Skilling submitted his resignation. Lay was then called back to take up the post of CEO.
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Downfall of the Company
As soon as Skilling resigned from his post, Enron’s performance went down quite dramatically. In August, the company’s stocks hit an all-time low and by October they were as low as $15.
Around the same time, Lay was accused of selling nearly $60 million of his stake and in November 2001, the company started plummeting.
From being the most celebrated and successful company in the USA, Enron went on to face bankruptcy. Accusations like false display of audits, insider trading and laundering ruined the company’s reputation forever.
In December 2001, the company declared bankruptcy. It was the biggest bankruptcy in the history of the United States. 20,000 people lost their jobs and investors suffered huge losses worth millions of dollars.
Subsequent Events
In 2009, it was argued before the Supreme Court that Jeffrey’s intention was not to achieve profit for himself from the company. It was also argued that the evidence used against him was not true.
In 2011, the court came up with an unchanged verdict even after considering the above mentioned arguments. Skilling then decided to appeal to the Supreme Court and challenged the latest judgement, but was denied certiorari.
However, in 2013, it was announced by federal prosecutors that Skilling’s sentence has been reduced by 10 years. The announcement was approved by U.S District Court Judge, Sim Lake, in 2013.
It was said that he would be released in 2017. However, he wasn’t released in 2017 and his release date was pushed to February 21, 2019.
Personal Life
Jeffrey’s first marriage ended in divorce in 1997. Jeffrey and his first wife had a daughter and two sons.
His youngest son died of drug overdose on February 3, 2011 at age 20. Skilling was in the prison at the time of his son’s death.
Skilling got married to Rebecca Carter in March, 2002.
Facts About Jeffrey Skilling
Jeffrey Skilling holds a degree in applied science and engineering from Southern Methodist University, showcasing his strong educational background.
Skilling is known for his innovative approach to business, particularly in developing new strategies for managing risk within the energy sector.
He was a key figure in the transformation of Enron into one of the largest energy companies in the world during his tenure as CEO.
Skilling has been involved in philanthropic efforts, supporting various charitable organizations and initiatives.
Despite his legal troubles, Skilling has maintained a positive attitude and continues to seek opportunities for personal growth and development.

See the events in life of Jeffrey Skilling in Chronological Order

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- Jeffrey Skilling Biography
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