Bernard Ebbers

Bernard John Ebbers (August 27, 1941 – February 2, 2020) was a Canadian businessman and the co-founder and CEO of WorldCom. Under his management, WorldCom grew rapidly but collapsed in 2002 amid revelations of accounting irregularities, making it at the time one of the largest accounting scandals in the United States. Ebbers blamed his subordinates but was convicted of fraud and conspiracy. In December 2019, Ebbers was released from Federal Medical Center, Fort Worth, due to declining health, having served 13 years of his 25-year sentence, and he died just over a month later. In 2013, Portfolio.com and CNBC named Ebbers as the 5th-worst CEO in American history. In 2009, Time named him the 10th most corrupt CEO of all time. Dubbed the "Telecom Cowboy," Ebbers often wore boots and blue jeans instead of the typical corporate uniform of a suit and tie. He also lived on a farm and loved to drive a tractor. Early life and education Ebbers was born in Edmonton, Alberta, the second of five children of Kathleen and John Ebbers, a traveling salesman. His family were devout Christians.