Regarding the Enron case, was justice served with the death of Kenneth Lay by heart attack?

Question

Or, do you think justice would've been better served if Mother Nature hadn't intervened and he would've slowly rotted away in prison instead?

Answer 1

He was just the fall guy.... The major bankers were responsible for the fraud then and are still up to their old tricks....People like Sandy Weill from Citibank, Robert Rubin from the Treasury, Paulson from Goldman Sachs, Harrison from JPMorgan are the big fish of this ongoing fraud! They set up the financing and are responsible. They are all out fishing on their yachts.

Hope I live long enough to see honest markets

as to your question, he paid his price,imo.

Answer 2

I don't think it really matters. Either way he would have or is being punished. Unless of course he faked his death and is hiding out in a remote island off the coast of Greece or something like that... hahaha, with as much money as he has, I wouldn't put it past him. Really though, I feel sorry for his family regarding the death, and all the people who suffered because of what he did through Enron- I bet there is plenty of people who would have rather he'd been sentenced and rotted, at least for a little while.

Answer 3

No way. If Ken Lay was guilty as convicted, then he is responsible for ruining many people's financial lives and retirements, and harming many more.

Justice could only have been served if he somehow was punished and all those people were made whole again.

Since that obviously wasn't going to happen, I would say that justice would be served if he had served 10+ years in maximum security prison being treated no differently than your average robber, crack dealer or check forger.

Answer 4

I don't think he should've died the way he did, but I don't think that he should 'rot' in prison either. It is wrong what he did, but at the same time it would be wrong for us to wish bad things onto other people. He put a lot of people into misery and debt, but at the same time, during this whole trial, his whole family's been put into shame as well. So I think justice did it's thing. If we were to wish somebody who was scandalous, death, then what justice could be served for those who commit murders and rapes?

Answer 5

Eagleonaperch's answer deserves careful consideration. While the Enron executives are guilty as charged, they had lots of help from the investment bankers who set up phony transactions to keep the losses hidden. JP Morgan's overseas operations admitted guilt and only had to pay fines and, I suspect, are busy today doing the same thing for large fees. No the big fish are still out there damaging things and getting off with fines instead of jail time.

Answer 6

When I read that he died today from a heart attack, all I could think was that maybe he actually WAS human..and did feel the pain of what he had done..and was about to experience in prison (i.e. "You dropped your soap..go bend over to get it."). Apparently it was a massive coronary heart attack.. I mean, that's got stress written all over it.

No, it wasn't the justice chosen by us.. but perhaps it was a higher power's form of justice.

Answer 7

At least now he wont be able to earn money out of it - writing a book, getting an exclusive interview with the media etc.

Also, prison isn't so bad, you get 3 meals a day, a bed, you often get a tv and everything is paid for you.

Answer 8

The question now is whether the prosecution can get its hands on the money or whether his family will inherit it all... way for his wife and 5 kids to benefit. Hopefully they'll have the decency and give some of it back to the people, but I'm not holding my breath.

Answer 9

He would not have slowly rotted away in prison. They don't put rich rich guys into the "regular" prisons

Answer 10

What's it matter now. Money is being saved on prison time and he won't be able to write a book or give lectures and get paid handsomely for it.