Econ in 20 minutes

  Nick Leeson, the infamous trader whose 1.4B loss led to the collapse of Barings Bank 30 years ago. Leeson reflects on his overwhelming feelings of embarrassment and shame stemming from his role in the bank’s downfall, emphasizing that despite a successful start to his banking career, he ultimately failed to achieve what he wanted. […]

In 2012, HSBC Holdings (HSBC), one of the world’s largest global banks, was hit with a $1.9 billion fine for, most notably, serving as a conduit for Mexican drug cartels. The penalty, which was coupled with $665 million in civil penalties, exposed severe problems with the bank’s compliance and anti-money laundering (AML) controls. It ranks […]