Crazy Money! Mark Whitacre Delivered From Love of Money

It’s Crazy Money Day!

In 1989, Archer Daniels Midland was the 56th largest company on the Fortune 500 and one of the largest food additive companies in the world. 32-year-old, Mark Whitacre, was positioned to take over as COO and president. He enjoyed a mansion, luxury cars, and a corporate jet. His three children attended the best private schools. Mark’s wife, Ginger, was a believer and knew that something was wrong. Why was her husband so unhappy, intense, and greedy? She quizzed him until he finally admitted the problem. For more than a decade, top-level management had been involved in illegal price fixing. The company siphoned off a billion dollars annually from food and beverage customers while passing the cost on to consumers. Mark’s love of money had drawn him in.

Ginger told him to turn himself in to the FBI or she would do it for him. He called and agreed to cooperate with them. The scandal made international news, and Mark was eventually sentenced to 8 ½ years in federal prison. There, Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, became his mentor along with Ian Howes. A 2010 Discovery Channel Documentary tells the story of God’s miraculous intervention. Today, Mark boldly proclaims the existence of God and his delivery from the love of money! Mark and I both want to finish well. We know that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

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