The Predators' Ball | Connie Bruck

The Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk-Bond Raiders

Extended Synopsis

In The Predators' Ball, bestselling author Connie Bruck dramatically captures a defining era in American business history, uncovering the philosophy of greed that dominated Wall Street in the 1980s. At the center of this financial revolution was Michael Milken of Drexel Burnham Lambert, famously known as the Billionaire Junk Bond King. Milken redefined high finance by inventing aggressive financial instruments like "the highly confident letter" and the "blind pool," allowing him to finance the era's biggest corporate raiders, including Carl Icahn and Ronald Perelman.

The empire of excess began to crumble on September 7, 1988, when the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Milken and Drexel Burnham Lambert with insider trading and stock fraud. With federal prosecutors waiting in the wings to file criminal and racketeering charges, Bruck delves deep into the motivations behind Milken’s relentless drive for power and money. This gripping investigative narrative explores whether the culture at Drexel Burnham Lambert fundamentally relied upon, and condoned, the breaking of federal laws.

Reader Targeting

• Professionals and students of corporate history and financial markets interested in the evolution of high-yield bonds.
• Readers of true crime and investigative journalism fascinated by white-collar crime and landmark federal prosecutions.
• Anyone looking to understand the systemic power dynamics and corporate raiding culture of 1980s Wall Street.

About the Author

Connie Bruck is a renowned investigative journalist and bestselling author. Known for her meticulous research and penetrating insights into American business and corporate culture, she has written extensively on the intersections of power, finance, and the law.

Accolades & Awards

The Predators' Ball has been highly praised by critics, with The New York Times noting that Bruck "traces the rise of this empire with vivid metaphors and with a smooth command of high finance’s terminology," while New York Newsday famously described it as "dirty dancing downtown."

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