Bethany McLean
Bethany McLean | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1970 Hibbing, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, author |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Investigative reporting on Enron scandal and 2008 financial crisis |
Bethany Lee McLean (born December 12, 1970) is a prominent American journalist and contributing editor at Vanity Fair. She gained recognition for her investigative reporting on the Enron scandal and the 2008 financial crisis. Her previous positions include serving as editor-at-large and columnist for Fortune, as well as contributing writer for Slate.
Early life and education
McLean was born in Hibbing, Minnesota and completed her secondary education at Hibbing High School in 1988. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and mathematics from Williams College, earned in 1992.
Career
Her professional journey began as an analyst in investment banking at Goldman Sachs. In 2008, she joined Vanity Fair in the role of contributing editor. McLean also wrote for Slate’s Moneybox column and Fortune’s "The Bulldog" column.
On March 5, 2001, she published a notable article in Fortune titled "Is Enron Overpriced?", which exposed questionable financial practices at Enron and challenged the justification for its soaring stock valuation before the company’s collapse. After Enron’s bankruptcy, McLean co-wrote The Smartest Guys in the Room with Peter Elkind in 2003, a detailed account of Enron’s fraudulent operations; this work later served as the basis for an Academy Award-nominated documentary.
In 2005, she authored a controversial piece critiquing Overstock.com and its CEO Patrick M. Byrne. Alongside Joe Nocera, she co-authored All the Devils Are Here, which investigates the causes of the 2008 financial meltdown.
Her 2015 publication, Shaky Ground: The Strange Saga of the U.S. Mortgage Giants, offers an analysis of the leadership and fiscal condition of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac following the financial crisis; this book was recognized by The Washington Post as one of the standout nonfiction titles of that year.
In 2018, McLean released Saudi America: The Truth about Fracking and How It's Changing the World, exploring the impact of fracking on U.S. energy independence and global markets.
McLean expanded into podcasting in 2019 with the launch of Making a Killing on Luminary. She also became a co-host on the Capitalisn't podcast alongside Chicago Booth professor Luigi Zingales. Additionally, she acts as an advisor to Hunterbrook Media.
Personal life
In 2000, McLean married Chris Wilford; their marriage ended in divorce in 2006. She wed attorney Sean Berkowitz, formerly Director of the United States Department of Justice Enron Task Force, in May 2008. They divorced in 2020. McLean currently lives in Chicago with her children.
Books
Essays and reporting
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1970 births
- Living people
- American business writers
- American women business writers
- American women journalists
- People from Hibbing, Minnesota
- Vanity Fair (magazine) people
- Williams College alumni
- 21st-century American women
- Goldman Sachs people