Documenting corporate deceit

Alex Gibney has documented many fraud cases in his three decades as a filmmaker. From his first big hit in 2005, “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room,” to the more recent documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley,” Gibney has long been exploring the psychology of deceit and why bright and talented people turn to the dark side.

Gibney’s films have laid bare the greed, fraud and corruption that take place across the corporate world. So, it’s fitting that he’s this year’s winner of the Guardian Award, which the ACFE presents annually to a person who shows determination and perseverance in exposing specific acts of fraud and white-collar crime. The ACFE will present the award at our 33rd Annual Global Fraud Conference June 19-24 in Nashville.

Gibney’s work educates and entertains us. But we’re also shocked to see how easily the subjects of his documentaries deceive the public via charm and good narratives. As Gibney points out in this issue’s cover story, Holmes was a superb storyteller. She conned former heads of state and savvy investors who willfully denied her lies because they wanted to believe her inspiring story.