Documentary
United Kingdom
Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard is a documentary film that explores the rise and fall of the German fintech company Wirecard. The film charts the company's meteoric rise from a small start-up to a global player that rivaled established financial institutions. It examines how Wirecard managed to convince investors and regulators alike that it was a legitimate business, despite red flags and allegations of fraud.
The film primarily follows the investigative work of a team of Financial Times journalists who uncovered evidence of accounting irregularities and fraud at Wirecard. The journalists worked tirelessly for years to uncover the truth, despite significant pushback from Wirecard executives and its high-powered PR team.
As the evidence of fraud mounted, the company's stock price began to plummet, eventually leading to Wirecard's collapse in June 2020. The film highlights the devastating impact the company's downfall had on investors, employees, and small businesses that relied on Wirecard's payment services.
Throughout the film, Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard raises important questions about the role of regulators in preventing financial fraud and the dangers of unchecked corporate power.
