48 - From His Own Private Jet to 8 Years in Prison | Mark Whitacre

The Kingdom Investor

Few people’s life stories are as spectacular as Mark Whitacre's to merit a Hollywood movie and a Discovery Channel documentary. With a cinematic landscape characterized by excesses of wealth, power, and corporate greed, and a thrilling fall and redemption arc, it’s hard not to be enthralled. Today, Mark joins us to tell his remarkable story.

In this first episode of a two-part interview, we'll hear how God radically intervened in his life, from a university student who rejected faith to becoming an ultra-successful corporate executive and eventually getting caught up in a massive price-fixing case and becoming the highest-level corporate executive in U.S. history to become an FBI whistleblower. Listen as he reflects on his journey to the top of the biotech industry, his rise at ADM, Archer-Daniels-Midland achieving opulent material wealth and success to his downfall as we end this episode with Mark preparing to serve his eight-and-a-half year prison sentence.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Mark shares snapshots of his personal background and life story, the cinematic, thrilling parts of it were turned into a movie, “The Informant!”
• Mark grew up attending church with his parents but becomes an atheist as he pursued his Ph.D. in biochemistry and entered the biotech industry abetted by the belief that a scientist cannot believe in God.
• At 32, Mark becomes division president and corporate vice president at ADM, Archer-Daniels-Midland, a $70 billion Fortune 500 company, makes seven figures annually, gets his own private jet, and buys the former CEO's mansion.
• Mark’s wife, Ginger, becomes a Christian, and takes care of their 3 kids but longs to live a simpler life as a good steward for God.
• After two years at ADM, Mark was let in on the company’s illegal activity – an international price-fixing cartel on food additives and becomes involved.
• Upset that Mark has become involved in fraud, Ginger pressures Mark to turn himself in and report the crime to the FBI.
• In exchange for immunity, Mark agrees to become a cooperating witness for the FBI, acts as an informant, and wears a wire for three years from 1992 to 1995 to monitor the meetings of the cartel.
• The case of one of the largest international cartels in history was prosecuted.
• Mark experiences intense stress and fear for his and his family’s life while acting as an FBI informant.
• While an FBI informant, Mark embezzles millions of dollars from his company, loses his legal immunity, is offered a six-month plea agreement, refuses it, and fights his case in court.
• Mark loses his legal battle and prepares to go to prison for eight and a half years.

Tweetables:

“Greed blinds you.”

“I couldn't understand how she was always so content with what she had. What I wanted was more and more.”

“Prison is going to be the beginning of your life. And you're going to find your true purpose in life with the journey you're ready to start.”

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Mark Whitacre website

The Kingdom Investor Podcast on LinkedIn

About Mark Whitacre

Mark Whitacre is the highest-level executive to ever turn whistleblower in U.S. history. His undercover work with the FBI during the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) scandal was the inspiration for the major motion picture, "The Informant," starring Matt Damon as Mark Whitacre and was the inspiration for the Discovery Channel Documentary, titled "Undercover". Drawing from his unique history, Mark provides one-of-a-kind insight into corporate ethics, corporate greed, and the warning signs of flawed corporate leadership.