In the tradition of The Predator’s Ball and Liar’s Poker comes a timeless insider’s tale of greed, excess and fraud that fed into the largest bankruptcy in history.
Walter Pavlo, Jr. was a young MBA rising quickly through the finance ranks at the nation’s second largest telecom company. With a beautiful wife, two kids and a promising career, he epitomized the American dream.
Pavlo’s life took a dark turn when he became a willing participant in the company’s efforts to hide from investors and potential acquirers a mountain of bad debt run up by mobsters and other unsavory customers. Encouraged by higher-ups, Pavlo became accomplished at accounting gimmickry.
Then the jaded young executive consorted with a colorful scam artist and others to use some of the same ploys he’d devised for his employer to enrich himself at its expense.
A ruse born of disillusionment and greed turned into a nightmare for Pavlo after he was caught and forced to choose–rat on his buddies or spend decades rotting in prison. His crimes ultimately cost Pavlo his freedom, family, reputation and self-respect.
Only later did he recognize that his original sins were part and parcel of the corruption that led to an historic collapse for his company, his industry and of public confidence in corporate America.
With humor and raw honesty, Pavlo and award-winning Forbes senior editor Neil Weinberg use this compelling personal story to portray in intimate detail the pressures millions of white-collar workers face every day.
Stolen Without A Gun is a vivid portrait of a man struggling with his inner demons, a parable for an age of unparalleled excess and a cautionary tale that will resound with every careful observer of business.