Biography

Bethany McLean is a columnist for Slate and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. She joined Slate in October 2010 and Vanity Fair in July 2008 after spending thirteen years at Fortune, where she was an editor-at-large. In early 2001, McLean was one of the first reporters to raise questions about Enron, with her story Is Enron Overpriced? She and fellow Fortune senior writer Peter Elkind exposed the Enron scandal and wrote the national bestseller The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron, which went on to become an Oscar-nominated documentary.

McLean has also written in-depth pieces about the credit rating agencies, Goldman Sachs, President Clinton’s global philanthropy, Australia’s Macquarie Bank, and more. Before joining Fortune, she spent three years as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. She graduated from Williams College in 1992 with a double major in mathematics and English.

Read More

Videos

Ten Years Hence Lecture: Two Decades of Covering Business: A Journalist’s View

Bethany McLean — The Knowledge Project #85

Bethany McLean Has Something To Say, and You Should Listen

Bethany McLean at 2020 UW-Stevens Point Business and Society Lecture

The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis

Request Availability

Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

Fracking and Environmental Justice

Author of Saudi America: The Truth About Fracking and How It’s Changing the World, Bethany McLean shares her expertise on fracking with audiences. McLean shares her insights on the issues surrounding fracking as well as its causes and effects on other areas of our society – how low-interest rates are driving fracking, the shifting world of energy, and changing relationships between Russia and Europe. She discusses the issue of the development of fossil fuels not aligning with the math of the Paris climate accord, posing the question of what might be next for fossil fuels and how we can protect the environment in finding the answer.

Business Ethics

From her experience as an analyst at Goldman Sachs through her work at Fortune exposing the Enron scandal, Bethany McLean gives audiences a look into what it means for a business to be ethical. In her talks, she delves into the discrepancies between morality and illegality and offers insight into the corruption that occurs when the people at the top take on all of the reward and none of the risk. In these talks, McLean draws on her published works and her personal findings as a member of the business world.

The Financial Crisis (All the Devils Are Here)

This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.

Government Regulation of Business

This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.

Wall Street

This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.

Print Journalism

This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.

Enron (The Smartest Guys in the Room)

This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.

Booksby Bethany McLean

All the Devils Are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis

The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron

Saudi America: The Truth About Fracking and How It's Changing the World

Shaky Ground: The Strange Saga of the U.S. Mortgage Giants

Blog Posts

How Elite Teams Prevent Catastrophic Failures Before They Happen (Teamwork Lessons From a Fighter Pilot)

Navy fighter pilot Jack Becker reveals how elite teams catch errors fast, protect blind spots, and perform under pressure using proven teamwork strategies.

Read More

7 Human Rights Keynote Speakers Who Turn Essentials Into Everyday Action (Real Stories)

Human rights keynote speakers who turn ideals into everyday actions—discover voices bringing dignity, belonging, and courage to your stages.

Read More

Why Top Event Planners Use Story to Double Audience Engagement, with Bruce Turkel

Learn from Hall of Fame speaker Bruce Turkel how story transforms events from forgettable content into experiences attendees quote months later.

Read More

New Year Planning Moves That Turn Events Into Strategic Levers (Not Just Calendar Fillers)

Design your New Year with intention using proven strategies from top thought leaders & transform your 2026 events from calendar fillers into meaningful moments.

Read More

How Top Speakers Shift Attention to Their Audience and Increase Event Engagement

Learn from emcee Scott Bloom how shifting your attention from yourself to your audience creates transformative speaking experiences that drive real engagement.

Read More

Creating Impactful Leadership with Gratitude: Lessons from Chris Schembra

Learn from keynote speaker Chris Schembra how gratitude transforms leaders and help them build a workplace culture that people want to be part of.

Read More

Related Storytelling Speakers

Contact Us Today

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Fill out the form so we can best understand your needs.
    A representative from The Keynote Curators will reach out to you.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form