# Kenneth Lay **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 25, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenneth-lay/354184 "2006-04-25T18:43:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenneth-lay/354184/1 "2006-04-25T18:43:51Z")
According to a newspaper article, Kenneth Lay said this gem about the collapse of Enron at his trial yesterday: > [@Kenneth Lay](#): > > I’m sure there’s absolutely nothing in my life, including the loss of life of many of my loved ones, that even comes close to the same level of pain, and the same enduring pain, that has caused WTF? There are two possibilities here: 1. He’s lying in a very unconvincing manner, and he really doesn’t care that he screwed over Enron’s employees. In which case, he’s scum. 2. He really does care more about the collapse of Enron than he does about the death of someone close to him. In which case, he has really screwed up priorities, and is scum. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenneth-lay/354184/2 "2006-04-25T18:49:42Z")
He’s also stated numerous times that he had no idea whatsoever that anything was wrong with the company. In which case, 1.He is unfit to be head of any company, and is scum, or 1. He is lying = scum. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenneth-lay/354184/3 "2006-04-25T19:00:53Z")
As someone once in charge of a company that eventually went under, seeing it happen was easily the most shattering experience in my life. I haven’t the slightest idea of what it’s like to have a child/spouse die, but watching my company, years of work, and all my dreams collapse was as intensely painful as anything I can imagine. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenneth-lay/354184/4 "2006-04-25T19:40:17Z")
I’ve lost parents and had a miscarriage, and either one is more painful IMHO than any pain a business loss could cause. I can’t even think about comparing it to the loss of a child. That’s just… cold. You can get another job. You can start up another company. FWIW, according to [NPR](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5361073) > [@](#): > > Ken Lay, the former chairman of Enron, testifies that he was not responsible for Enron’s collapse. He blames former Chief Financial Officer Andrew Fastow and The Wall Street Journal for destroying the company. The Wall Street Journal. That’s it, yeah. The Wall Street Journal. That’s the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenneth-lay/354184/5 "2006-04-25T19:49:56Z")
I’ve been following this closely and I get the impression that Lay knows he doesn’t really have a chance. My feeling is that he’s going through the motions in front of the jury and hoping for the best on appeal. Skilling, at least, made an effort to be convincing. They’re still both scum. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenneth-lay/354184/6 "2006-04-25T22:55:47Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > I’ve lost parents and had a miscarriage, and either one is more painful IMHO than any pain a business loss could cause. I can’t even think about comparing it to the loss of a child. That’s just… cold. You can get another job. You can start up another company. > > FWIW, according to [NPR](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5361073) > > The Wall Street Journal. That’s it, yeah. The Wall Street Journal. That’s the ticket. Yes, but to Ken Lay, _Ken Lay_ died. Everything he was, everything he wanted to be. It’s one of those “you have to be there” things, I’m sure. I can’t, of course, speak for the genuineness of Lay’s emotion but I can assure you that the reaction he describes is quite real. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kenneth-lay/354184/7 "2006-04-25T22:57:00Z")
And I have no idea what the importance of the source of the citation is, given that it is an actual Lay quote.