Bryan Burrough

Bryan Burrough is an American author, journalist, and screenwriter. He is best known for his works on the business and financial world, most notably his book Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco. His writing has earned him the National Magazine Award for Reporting and the Gerald Loeb Award for Business Journalism.

Burrough was born and raised in Texas, where he attended Texas A&M University before graduating from the University of Missouri with a bachelor's degree in journalism. After graduating, Burrough began a career as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, and in the mid-1980s he began writing about the business world. The Wall Street Journal published his book-length account of the leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco entitled Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco in 1989, which became a bestseller. The book was later adapted into a television movie in 1993.

Following the success of Barbarians at the Gate, Burrough wrote another book-length account of business culture and practices titled Vendetta: American Express and the Smearing of Edmond Safra. His next book, The Big Rich: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Texas Oil Fortunes, is an account of some of the most successful (and notorious) tycoons of the oil industry in Texas. In 2009, he publishedPublic Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34, which follows the pursuit, arrest and trial of criminals like John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd by FBI director J.Edgar Hoover in the early days of the agency.

Burrough also wrote a book about the 2008 financial crisis called The Sellout, which was published in 2012. The book examines the causes and effects of the crash and highlights individuals and institutions responsible for the upheaval, such as the Federal Reserve, Bear Stearns, and Lehman Brothers. Through his writing, Burrough shines a light on the shadowy world of high-level banking and finance, and his unflinching look at the industry has won him praise and admiration.

Burrough has also written several articles and -column pieces has been featured in New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Fortune. He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, PBS NewsHour, and the The Today Show. In addition to his writing, Burrough is a contributor to the Wall Street Journal, where he is a business editor and investigative reporter. In 2018, he was elected to the Texas Institute of Letters and in 2019 he was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Today, Burroughs continues to write about business and finance for the Wall Street Journal, where his articles cover topics like the housing crisis, financial fraud, and the state of the economy. He is also a sought-after public speaker and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities around the country. His writing is respected for its accuracy and insight, providing a comprehensive look into the financial world.