3 chapters across the catalog
Rahm Emanuel reportedly earned $16 million in two years working for a Wall Street firm after leaving the Clinton administration. During this time, he served on the board of Freddie Mac while the organization was "cooking the books." A specific deal involving SBC's sale of SecurityLink for $500 million, which was flipped six months later for $1 billion, is highlighted as a key source of his wealth.
Ed Whitacre, the former chairman of SBC and AT&T, was appointed as the chairman of General Motors despite admitting he knows nothing about the car business. The appointment is framed as a potential "cronyism" payoff for Whitacre's past business dealings with Rahm Emanuel. Whitacre is noted for his $158.5 million retirement package from AT&T and his deep ties to Texas business interests.
John C. Dvorak details ongoing issues with AT&T (formerly SBC) regarding "phone slamming" and the unauthorized addition of services like call waiting and long-distance plans to his bill. Despite setting up a security password to prevent unauthorized changes, Dvorak discovers that low-level call center employees can bypass these protections. He suspects the persistent interference may be motivated by personal grudges from disgruntled tech users.
