Dan McCrum

Dan McCrum is an award-winning investigative journalist, author and keynote speaker celebrated for exposing one of Europe’s largest financial scandals. As a leading figure at the Financial Times, he revealed the truth behind the Wirecard fraud, a multi-billion euro deception that shocked the corporate world and transformed attitudes toward transparency and accountability. His investigation, which spanned six years, earned him international recognition and inspired the Netflix documentary ‘Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard.’ Today, Dan is recognised as one of the foremost voices in investigative journalism, known for his courage, persistence, and unwavering commitment to uncovering the truth.

Dan’s journey into journalism began after earning a degree in Economics and Politics from Durham University in 2001. He started his professional career at Citigroup, working in the equity research department, where he developed a deep understanding of financial markets and corporate behaviour. Although the world of banking offered stability, Dan’s fascination with storytelling and truth-telling soon drew him toward journalism. In 2006 he joined the Investors Chronicle, writing about technology and industry for an audience of retail investors. The following year, he joined the Financial Times, where his sharp analytical mind and instinct for investigative work quickly stood out. His early years with the paper saw him covering the 2008 financial crisis and the Madoff investment scandal from New York, experiences that shaped his approach to examining power, money, and ethics.

During his distinguished career, Dan has held several key roles at the Financial Times, including US Investment Correspondent, FT Alphaville Editor and Capital Markets Editor. His reporting has exposed accounting frauds at major firms such as Quindell, Globo, Slater & Gordon, and Folli Follie. However, it was his relentless pursuit of the Wirecard story that defined his legacy. Despite intense pressure, threats and even criminal investigation, Dan and his colleagues proved that Wirecard’s success was built on deception. For his work, he received numerous awards, including Journalist of the Year at the 2020 British Journalism Awards, the Gerald Loeb Award for Breaking News in 2021, and honours from the London Press Club, the Society of Editors, and the Overseas Press Club. His 2022 book, ‘Money Men: A Hot Startup, A Billion Dollar Fraud, A Fight for the Truth’, became an international success and remains one of the most important accounts of corporate corruption in recent memory.

Dan’s speaking engagements are both insightful and gripping, offering rare access into the world of financial crime, corporate secrecy, and media investigation. He speaks on topics including fraud, corruption, financial markets, media ethics, and accountability, using vivid storytelling to show how major institutions can fail and how truth eventually prevails. Drawing from real-life encounters with whistleblowers, hackers and shadowy corporate figures, Dan demonstrates what it takes to challenge powerful interests and stand firm in pursuit of the truth. Audiences leave his talks with a deeper understanding of integrity in business, the fragility of public trust and the human side of investigative journalism.