Bernie Ebbers was a Canadian businessman, born on August 27, 1941 in Edmonton, Alberta. He is best known as the former CEO of WorldCom, a telecommunications company that experienced one of the largest accounting scandals in history. Ebbers transformed this small long-distance company into a global telecommunications giant through aggressive acquisition and expansion. However, in 2002, it was revealed that the company had engaged in fraudulent accounting practices, which ultimately led to its bankruptcy. Ebbers was convicted of multiple charges, including securities fraud, conspiracy, and making false filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2005 and passed away on February 2, 2020, while serving his sentence.