The Mastermind of the Enron Scandal Is Free: A Look at Jeffrey Skilling's Rise and Fall

Jeffrey Skilling, the former chief executive of Enron whose deception contributed to the spectacular fall of the energy-trading giant, was released from federal custody on Thursday after serving more than 12 years in prison for fraud, insider trading and conspiracy.

His release marks the end of a scandal that was so wide-reaching and notorious that the name Enron still haunts California politicians and is often invoked in discussions about energy policy. Enron was found to have manipulated the state's electricity market, helping spark a crisis in the early 2000s that sent power prices surging to record levels, plunged hundreds of thousands into darkness and led to the downfall of a governor. California’s utility customers are still paying for the cost of the crisis in their power bills.