I Lost £862 Million & Collapsed a 233-Year-Old Bank

I Lost £862 Million & Collapsed a 233-Year-Old Bank

From Making Money by Damien Jordan & Timeyin Akerele from Most

April 20, 2026 · 1h 15m

About this episode

Nick Leeson discusses the collapse of Barings Bank due to hidden losses and the pressures he faced during that time.

In 1995, Nick Leeson brought down the UK’s oldest merchant bank, Barings, with £862 million in hidden losses. The final hit to Barings was £827 million, triggering one of the biggest financial collapses in history. He explains how it really happened and how things spiralled over time. Was it fear of failure, the pressure to succeed, or something deeper that kept him going? 🤝 Want 1:1 financial help from us? Answer a few questions to find the right service & book free call: https://getmost.typeform.com/pod-episodes ❓Survey - how are you saving for your future? ⁠⁠⁠https://makingmoney.email/survey⁠⁠ 🎉 Sponsors Vanta - Get your company secure and compliant: ⁠https://vanta.com/makingmoney Xero accountancy software - get 90% off for 6 months: https://referrals.xero.com/makingmoney – If you purchase a product or service using one of the links above, we may receive a commission. There will be no additional charge for you. Remember investments can fall and rise - and past performance is no guarantee of future results. Other fees may apply. Your money is at risk. This is not financial advice. The reason it’s not financial advice is because it’s not tailored to you. We explain the…

People in this episode

Hosts: Damien Jordan, Timeyin Akerele

Guest: Nick Leeson

Topics covered

  • financial collapse
  • banking history
  • risk management
  • investing
  • personal finance

Keywords

  • Barings Bank
  • Nick Leeson
  • financial collapse
  • hidden losses
  • 1995
  • investing
  • risk management

Sponsors

Vanta, Xero

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Barings

Places: UK

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