Broadbandits cover

Broadbandits

by Om Malik

"Broadbandits: Inside the $750 Billion Telecom Heist goes behind the scenes to uncover the actions and motivations of a handful of men and a few dozen companies who worshipped at the altar of corporate greed - and for the most part got away with it! Through interviews with numerous industry insiders and real-world stories, investigative reporter Om Malik follows the money trail to reveal the events that all but destroyed an industry and decimated thousands of portfolios in the process." "Broadbandits offers a candid look at how fiber barons such as Bernie Ebbers of WorldCom, Gary Winnick of Global Crossing, and Joe Nacchio of Qwest turned simple light and glass fibers into veins of gold that allowed them to build enormous personal fortunes, even as their companies were going down in flames. You'll be there to watch as eager venture capitalists and unknowing investors try to buy their piece of the American Dream - only to get burned by once high-flying companies such as Excite@Home, Winstar, McLeodUSA, Nortel, and Sycamore." "Broadbandits puts you face-to-face with the shameless individuals who used the hype and hysteria of the telecom revolution to pump up telecom stocks and line their own pockets - even when there was little evidence to substantiate their claims. You'll learn how the former pied piper of the telecom industry, analyst Jack Grubman, played both sides of the fence to make millions, while pundit George Gilder's pie-in-the-sky predictions transformed him into a cult hero, until everything came crashing down on him."--Jacket.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?