Transcript
Introduction
As head trader at Enron when it filed for bankruptcy, I received many calls from firms that were recruiting. I was busy trying to close out the trading book and wanted to take some time to decide my future. So I didn't take any meetings.
But Citadel was by far the most aggressive. Other companies set up a few interviews with Enron's senior people. Citadel interviewed everyone in the trading operation at all functions and all levels. Citadel's team called me twice, but I declined to meet.
It was apparent to me that their intent was to reverse-engineer their business and I wasn't going to help them. They knew that people looking for a job, particularly if they didn't have a fiduciary responsibility to a current employer, would be very free with info. Interviewing everyone gives you a 360-degree perspective of the industry—how the business makes money, its competitive edge, who the best employees are, etc. Citadel probably interviewed several hundred Enron employees.