Which actor would you choose to play you in a movie? It’s a question many of us have been asked at some point.



Well, former trader Nick Leeson can actually claim that film star Ewan McGregor took to the screen in 1999, dressed in his striped, Barings bank blazer to portray him. In the movie Rogue Trader, McGregor told the story of Nick’s trading in Singapore which unfortunately lead to the bankruptcy of Barings bank and Leeson to flee the country.



Nick’s incarceration was well documented in the 90s but those who are now seeing him in the Big Brother house may be wondering exactly what he’s famous for.

Before Barings bank

Nick came from a working-class background. Growing up in Watford, he was the son of a plasterer with a very different upbringing to those he eventually worked with in the finance sector.



He began his working life as a clerk for a private bank, before moving to Morgan Stanley for two years. With this experience under his belt he then went for a job at Barings. This British merchant bank was founded in 1762 and had ties to the monarchy with the Queen as a client and links to funding the Napoleonic Wars.



Here, we’ve broken down the timeline of events that lead to Nick’s arrest, his later redemption and rise to fame in the world of public speaking. To find out more, see Who is Nick Leeson, to read our exclusive interview with the original rogue trader.