Buy, Lie, and Sell High: How Investors Lost Out on Enron and the Internet Bubble

Having to Go to the Venture Firms

In the United States, entrepreneurs have limited sources of capital. They may finance a new company themselves, but since most have little wealth, this can usually be done only on a shoestring. The result is that most start-ups are funded by entrepreneurs for only a short time, which carries the company only a short distance. More capital can be obtained from friends or acquaintances, or even wealthy individuals, so-called “angels.” But again, most entrepreneurs cannot obtain sufficient funding from these sources. A major source of funds available for many business purposes is ordinarily closed to early-stage start-ups: banks.

Investment banks rarely invest in start-ups, and then only in very large ones created ...