Rogue Trader (1999) Apr 2026

The true story of is a masterclass in how a "can-do" attitude can accidentally demolish a 233-year-old institution.

On February 23, 1995, Leeson left a note on his desk saying and fled the country. He left behind a $1.4 billion loss —more than double the bank's entire available capital. Rogue Trader (1999)

Barings Bank, which had survived the Napoleonic Wars and financed the Louisiana Purchase, was declared insolvent and sold to the Dutch bank ING for the symbolic price of . The Aftermath The true story of is a masterclass in

Because he was in charge of both the trading floor and the back-office reporting (the "settlements"), he was effectively his own boss, allowing him to cook the books and make it look like he was making millions while he was actually drowning. The Kobe Earthquake Barings Bank, which had survived the Napoleonic Wars

Then, the unthinkable happened: the struck Kobe. The Japanese markets plummeted, and Leeson’s positions turned into a black hole. He tried to "trade his way out" by buying more, but the hole only deepened. The Collapse