Optical Illusions: Lucent and the Crash of Telecom

Lisa Endlich

Nov 2004 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this eBook

When Lucent Technologies was spun off from AT&T in 1996, the new company was full of promise. An old-line manufacturer, it quickly became a sizzling hot stock thanks to the emergence of the Internet and the build-up of telecommunications. The stock market was soaring, and Lucent flew with it. Within a few short years it became the sixth-largest corporation in America and the most widely held stock in the country. Yet only months later, Lucent was gasping for life, victim of the greatest stock-market bubble in history.
Optical Illusions is the story of a financially sound company steeped in world-class talent, dominant in one of the fastest-growing industries, that in the space of two years found itself downgraded to a junk-bond credit rating, under investigation by the SEC for its accounting practices, the value of its stock reduced to the price of a cup of coffee. Lisa Endlich tells the fascinating tale of the company that epitomized the misfortunes of the telecom industry, leaving investors and employees shocked and confused.
In writing this book Endlich had access to more than a hundred people who played a role in the drama, as well as previously sealed courtroom documents. She explains how the conflicting styles of CEOs Henry Schacht and Rich McGinn contributed to Lucent's woes, and she shows how the loss of skilled executives such as Carly Fiorina hurt the company at a crucial moment. When it was all over, Schacht -- Lucent's first CEO, who was later brought back to right the listing ship -- acknowledged that Lucent had allowed itself to be swept up in the market mania, distorting its corporate values in the process.
Although the stock-market mania of the late 1990s is remembered as "the Internet craze" or "the dot-com madness," as Optical Illusions shows, the damage was more widespread and lasting. In fighting for its survival, Lucent laid off more than 70 percent of its employees, wrecking retirees' savings and investors' portfolios alike.

Ratings and reviews

True she jumps around a little... sec files in 2004 the issue was in 2000. But it must be difficult to fully explain the atmosphere [the stress these bankers deal with] unless your there to see it for yourself.... I can't imagine working this much for something and having to put myself out there for public criticizem, both Lisa and international diesel guy. grinn and bear is easier said then done. Good job. Chip

True, she jumped a little.... but sec files in 2004- the issues were in 2000.... but it must be difficult to fully comprehen the persona of those guys and what they are going through [their stress levels] as bankers. Especially in first person!! Good job. Chip

About the author

Lisa Endlich holds master's degrees from MIT in management and in urban planning, and was a vice president and foreign exchange trader for Goldman Sachs. She was raised in Los Angeles and lives in England with her husband and their three children.