1) WorldCom

1) WorldCom

Poor Bernie Ebbers.

In 2000, WorldCom was the second largest U.S. long distance phone company. It eventually became the country's largest accounting scandal, although in 2008, another Bernie (Madoff) seized the title away. Nonetheless, the $11 billion accounting fraud at WorldCom, coupled with the resulting nosedive in the company's stock price, was destructive enough to investors to make WorldCom tops on our list.

Ebbers once told a church congregation that he hoped his actions hadn't jeopardized his "witness for Jesus Christ." Maybe he should have worried more about the witness for the prosecution.

In 2005, Ebbers was convicted of conspiracy and securities fraud. He won't be eligible for parole until 2028, when he's 85.