In this video, I explore the infamous case of Nick Leeson, the rogue trader who single-handedly brought down Barings Bank, Britain's oldest merchant bank, in 1995. This shocking financial disaster reveals how one trader's hidden losses spiraled to $1.3 billion, destroying a 233-year-old institution that had survived both World Wars.
Learn how organizational weaknesses and poor supervision enabled this historic collapse. The video examines Leeson's background, prison sentence, and his remarkable post-prison transformation. Special focus on lessons for modern traders and financial institutions about addressing losses immediately rather than hiding them. I share Leeson's current perspective and how his story continues to influence risk management in global finance today.
Past performance is not indicative of future results. Trading forex carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade any such leveraged products, you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading on margin, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD stays weak near 0.6600 amid softer risk tone, ahead of US CPI
AUD/USD remains under pressure near 0.6600 in the Asian session on Thursday amid a softer risk tone, lending some support to the safe-haven US Dollar. China's economic woes also undermine the Aussie, though the RBA's hawkish stance limits losses. The focus now is on the US CPI data release.
USD/JPY stretches higher toward 156.00 as traders await US CPI
USD/JPY extends its upswing toward 156.00 in the Asian session on Thursday. The US Dollar attempts a tepid bounce against the Japanese Yen amid profit-taking ahead of the US CPI data due later in the day and Friday's BoJ policy announcements.
Gold declines on profit-taking, USD strength ahead of US CPI release
Gold price edges lower below $4,350 during the Asian trading hours on Thursday. The precious metal retreats from seven-week highs amid some profit-taking and a rebound in the US Dollar (USD). The potential downside for the yellow metal might be limited after the recent US jobs data reinforce market expectations of further interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve and drag the USD lower.
Top Crypto Losers: Pump.fun, SPX6900, Bittensor slide further with double-digit losses
Pump.fun, SPX6900, and Bittensor are leading the losses in the cryptocurrency market over the last 24 hours amid total liquidations of over $500 million. The retail segment alleges institutional manipulation amid an early-morning Bitcoin sell-off routine in the US market.
Monetary policy: Three central banks, three decisions, the same caution
While the Fed eased its monetary policy on 10 December for the third consecutive FOMC meeting, without making any guarantees about future action, the BoE, the ECB and the BoJ are holding their respective meetings this week.
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Making money in forex is easy if you know how the bankers trade!
I’m often mystified in my educational forex articles why so many traders struggle to make consistent money out of forex trading. The answer has more to do with what they don’t know than what they do know. After working in investment banks for 20 years many of which were as a Chief trader its second knowledge how to extract cash out of the market.
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In the fast moving world of currency markets where huge moves can seemingly come from nowhere, it is extremely important for new traders to learn about the various economic indicators and forex news events and releases that shape the markets. Indeed, quickly getting a handle on which data to look out for, what it means, and how to trade it can see new traders quickly become far more profitable and sets up the road to long term success.
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What Are the 10 Fatal Mistakes Traders Make
Trading is exciting. Trading is hard. Trading is extremely hard. Some say that it takes more than 10,000 hours to master. Others believe that trading is the way to quick riches. They might be both wrong. What is important to know that no matter how experienced you are, mistakes will be part of the trading process.
The challenge: Timing the market and trader psychology
Successful trading often comes down to timing – entering and exiting trades at the right moments. Yet timing the market is notoriously difficult, largely because human psychology can derail even the best plans. Two powerful emotions in particular – fear and greed – tend to drive trading decisions off course.