c) Enron Scandal

The Enron Scandal, which came to light in the early 2000s, highlighted significant issues in corporate governance and accounting in the U.S. The collapse of Enron, an energy company once considered one of the most innovative, was primarily due to fraudulent accounting practices and corporate malfeasance. This scandal exposed major weaknesses in the U.S. financial regulatory system, leading to widespread distrust in corporate America and prompting reforms, notably the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Enron Scandal remains one of the most notorious examples of corporate fraud and mismanagement in American history.