''Den of Thieves'' is a 1992

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with b ...

book by American writer

James B. Stewart James Bennett Stewart (born c. 1952) is an American lawyer, journalist, and author. Early life and education Stewart was born in Quincy, Illinois. He graduated from DePauw University and Harvard Law School. Career He is a member of the Bar o ...

Overview

''Den of Thieves'' recounts the insider trading scandals involving

Ivan Boesky Ivan Frederick Boesky (born March 6, 1937) is a former American stock trader who became infamous for his prominent role in an insider trading scandal that occurred in the United States during the mid-1980s. He was charged and pled guilty to insi ...

Michael Milken Michael Robert Milken (born July 4, 1946) is an American financier. He is known for his role in the development of the market for high-yield bonds ("junk bonds"), and his conviction and sentence following a guilty plea on felony charges for vio ...

, and other Wall Street financiers in the United States during the 1980s, such as Robert Freeman,

Terren Peizer Terren Scott Peizer, is an investor and company executive. He is the CEO of Acuitas Group Holdings and Neurmedix. He is also the CEO and chairman of Ontrak. He has held senior executive positions within technology and biotech companies, at Goldma ...

, Dennis Levine,

Lowell Milken Lowell Jay Milken (born November 29, 1948) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and the co-founder and chairman of the Milken Family Foundation. He is also the founder of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, TAP System for T ...

, John A. Mulheren, Martin Siegel,

Timothy Tabor Timothy is a masculine name. It comes from the Greek name ( Timόtheos) meaning "honouring God", "in God's honour", or "honoured by God". Timothy (and its variations) is a common name in several countries. People Given name * Timothy (given name) ...

, Richard Wigton, Robert Wilkis, and others. There have been eight editions as of 2008. Intertwining the stories of financiers, bankers, lawyers, and the law enforcement officials who pursued them, ''Den of Thieves'' tells a true tale of arrogance and complacency amongst the Wall Street elite. As

leveraged buyouts A leveraged buyout (LBO) is one company's acquisition of another company using a significant amount of borrowed money ( leverage) to meet the cost of acquisition. The assets of the company being acquired are often used as collateral for the loa ...

and

takeovers In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company (the ''target'') by another (the ''acquirer'' or ''bidder''). In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to ...

proliferated in the heady 1980s, information on which companies were being targeted became ever more valuable. The stock price of companies could rise enormously on rumors of a potential takeover. Those who were privy to that information before it became public could make huge sums of money. Stewart shows how some of the biggest names in American financial history were involved in one of the greatest insider-trading schemes ever and how their exposure and punishment sent shock waves through corporate America.

Official information

* Exclusive photographs by Robert A. Cumins included.

References

External links

* * {{cite web , url = http://www.booknotes.org/Watch/22933-1/James+Stewart.aspx , website = Booknotes , type = interview , last = Stewart , title = On ''Den of Thieves'' , date = November 24, 1991 , url-status = dead , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20111115161712/http://booknotes.org/Watch/22933-1/James+Stewart.aspx , archivedate = November 15, 2011 1992 non-fiction books Business books Insider trading Books about traders Simon & Schuster books Books by James B. Stewart Michael Milken