Match King Ivar Kreuger the Financial Genius Behind a Century of Wall Street Scandals (H/C)

At the Height of the Roaring 20S, Swedish Migr Ivar Kreuger Made a Fortune Raising Money in America and Loaning It to Europe in Exchange for Matchstick Monopolies. His Enterprise Was a Rare Success Story Throughout the Great Depression. yet After Kreugers Suicide in 1932, the True Nature of His Empire Emerged. Driven by Success to Adopt Ever-More Perilous Practices, Kreuger Had Turned to Shell Companies in Tax Havens, Fudged Accounting Figures, Off-Balance-Sheet Accounting, Even Forgery. He Created a Raft of Innovative Financial Products Many of Them Precursors to Instruments Wreaking Havoc in Todays Markets. When His Wall Street Empire Collapsed, Millions Went Bankrupt. Frank Partnoy, a Frequent Commentator on Financial Disaster for the Financial Times, New York Times, Npr, and Cbss 60 Minutes, Recasts the Life Story of a Remarkable yet Forgotten Genius in Ways That Force Us to Re-Think Our Ideas About the Wisdom of Crowds, the Invisible Hand, and the Free and Unfettered Market.