This is just for about one line of a fic, but I'd like to get a decent analogy, if I possibly can.

So the question is this. Lex Luthor was, of course, a criminal who was also (apparently) an extremely respectable businessman, a pillar of the community, considered to be beyond reproach. There must have been other such respectable businessmen who ultimately turned out to have been criminals, but who seemed utterly law-abiding at the time. Can anyone suggest any?

Edit: I mean RL criminals - there wasn't anyone else we knew of in L&C at the time this story is set.


Thanks!


Wendy

Bill Church leaps immediately to mind (both Sr. and Jr.)

ML

Sorry, ML - I meant a real businessman!

Bill Church would actually work, except that the story in question is set in S1...


Wendy

Oh, and there's Preston Carpenter from the Rival. He was the guy who owned a number of newspapers and then bought the Star and tried to put the Daily Planet out of business by arranging news stories to take place when his reporters were nearby. I think he would have qualified.

ML

Oh, you meant REAL businessmen Sorry. I guess I have too much Lois and Clark on my mind.

ML

Bill Gates? *ducks and runs*

I always think of Donald Trump in such circumstances. Although no idea if he's been found to be corrupt or just looks that way. He does remind me of Lex though, every time I see him - whether the man deserves it or not.

LabRat

Well, the IRC gang has come through again! They suggested Barry Minkow of the ZZZZ Carpet Cleaning Company (great suggestion and perfect timeline, Roger!), and the former evangelist Jim Bakker. That should do nicely!


A very happy Wendy

There was the real life guy who the character Moriarty was based off of. Adam Worth or Wurth, I think his name was. If I remember correctly, his son ironically joined the Scotland Yard.

I know it's not the correct time period, but something along those lines might work for developing a character.

Do you mean criminal like in "serial killers" or like in "financial crimes", "White collar crimes" or "cybercriminality"?

'cause Nick Leeson's name, this english broker who brought down the Barings bank, immediatly popped in mind, closely followed by Lucy Edwards, Bank of New-York's former senior vice-president, who pled guilty to a variety of federal charges (money laundering and fraud included). For business men, think recent financial scandals like Enron, Worldcom... or VU.

For WCC, all the protagonists of pollution or firms that put citizen's lives at risk...one example would be the one described in the movie: Erin Brokovitch.

For cybercriminality (reduced to hacking, which is 45% of it), I instantly thought Kevin Mitnick. But Karen's proposition is appealing .

Hope that helps a bit,

Carole

Conrad Black? or you could go back in US history to the time of the robber barons - e.g. John D. Rockefeller had a competitor's RR tracks blown up. or, much later, Joe Kennedy who made his loot in in the illegal booze business.

c.

How about Ken Lay of Enron?

Thanks very much for all the suggestions, everyone! There are some great ones there. Some good ones, such as Ken Lay, are just a little too late, timewise - I should have specified that I'm talking about people who would already have been exposed by the time of early S1.

Anyway, I've certainly got plenty to be going on with, so thanks again.


Wendy