10 Worst Decisions of the Last Decade

10 Worst Decisions of the Last Decade So Far

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most consequential and/or significant failures of judgement between 2015 and now

Titan Submersible Expedition (2023)

In June 2023, the submersible Titan imploded in the North Atlantic Ocean, during an undersea expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic, killing all five onboard. Among the casualties was Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate. Concerns had been expressed about Titan and its fitness for deep-sea expeditions as far back as 2018, but ultimately ignored. Communication with its mother ship was lost after 93 minutes, and debris was discovered days later. What exactly occurred to cause the implosion is unclear. But what is clear is that five lives could’ve been saved if proper safety precautions had been taken.

Fyre Festival (2017)

In 2017, the most-talked about music festival wasn’t Coachella[a], Lollapalooza, or Bonnaroo. Instead, it was the Fyre Festival. And the discussion was not positive, to say the least. Organized by businessman Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule to promote the Fyre booking app, it was set to take place in the Bahamas on two separate weekends in April and May. Influencers like Kendall Jenner promoted the festival on social media. However, poor organization and budget issues led to numerous acts withdrawing. When attendees arrived on the festival grounds, they were greeted by disaster relief tents and cheese sandwiches. McFarland pleaded guilty to wire fraud and received a six-year prison sentence, being released in 2022. He and Ja Rule were also hit with a $100 million class-action lawsuit.

Hillary Clinton Not Campaigning in Wisconsin (2016)

Throughout the 2016 U.S. presidential election, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the odds-on favorite against her opponent, former host of “The Apprentice,” Donald Trump. After her loss, there was much speculation as to why. While there are numerous potential factors to consider, one clear blunder was Clinton’s failure to campaign in Wisconsin, part of the “blue wall” of Midwestern states key to electoral victory. This wasn’t the only previously blue state that Trump had flipped. But it did speak to an over-confidence among Clinton and the Democratic establishment that turned a seemingly surefire victory into a shocking defeat.

Running George Santos (2022)

People running for public office not being completely truthful is nothing new. But dishonesty to the extent of George Santos is truly mind-boggling. Weeks after his victory to New York’s 3rd congressional district in the 2022 midterm elections, it was revealed that numerous aspects of Santos’ backstory had been completely fabricated. Among these falsehoods were his having worked for Goldman Sachs[b], producing Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” and his mother working in the World Trade Center and surviving the September 11th attacks. These revelations immediately made him a pariah in Congress, and he became the sixth Representative and first Republican in U.S. history to be expelled. Had a more thorough vetting process been done, it’s likely Santos would have never gotten as far as he did.

FTX (2019)

Cryptocurrency has been a massive source of discussion over the last decade. Advocates arguing it as a source of great financial opportunities for investors, while skeptics warning of instability and lack of regulations. One of the most cautionary tales came from the short-lived story of FTX, a crypto exchange co-founded by Sam Bankman-Fried[c] in 2019. The company seemed poised to revolutionize the crypto industry, with numerous celebrity endorsements. However, this all came undone in 2022 when the company collapsed and Bankman-Fried was charged with multiple counts of fraud. Investors ended up losing an estimated $8 billion collectively, and Bankman-Fried was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Not Stepping Down (2016)

As an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was widely regarded as an inspiring figure. However, her legacy would be in a much better place if she had stepped down during Barack Obama’s second term as president, allowing him to choose her successor on the bench. The court’s oldest judge, Ginsburg had faced a wide array of health issues, including multiple cancer diagnoses. It became especially concerning during Donald Trump’s presidency, due to his ability to choose her successor. Ginsburg passed away in September 2020, and Trump nominee Amy Coney Barrett assumed office the following month, further strengthening the conservative majority in the Court.

Elon Musk Twitter Purchase (2022)

In October 2022, billionaire Elon Musk finalized his purchase of social networking platform Twitter for a $44 billion, all-cash deal. Changes soon were underway, including rebranding of the platform as “X” and making blue “verified” checkmarks available for purchase, making it easy for public figures to be impersonated. Content moderation was greatly scaled back, allowing hate speech and disinformation to run rampant. Advertisers and users both left in droves, and mass layoffs and resignations had a drastic effect on internal morale. Two years after Musk’s purchase, investment company Fidelity estimated that, under Musk, the company’s value had plunged nearly 80 percent.

Brexit (2020)

In June 2016, a referendum was held in the U.K., to determine whether or not the country would stay in the European Union. Supporters of the measure cited economic and immigration concerns. Ultimately, the measure, put forward by then-prime minister David Cameron who anticipated its failure, passed with nearly 52 percent of the vote. Though the negative effects of leaving the E.U. weren’t immediately clear, they soon were made apparent. Trade, employment, and overall per capita income took a hit, with one expert calling it a historic debacle.” Though there's been speculation about the possibility of the U.K. eventually rejoining the E.U., there’s been no significant moves towards reunification.

Donald Trump’s COVID-19 Response (2020)

There are numerous reasons to point to as to why Donald Trump lost his bid for re-election in 2020, including his discouraging of mail-in voting by his supporters. But the biggest is arguably his handling on the COVID-19 pandemic. It started in 2018, when he dismantled the pandemic response team created for such an emergency. Then, once the virus ravaged the U.S. and the rest of the world, he downplayed its severity and ignored the advice of experts, instead promoting fringe theories involving injecting bleach. A report, published in The Lancet[d] in 2021, found that roughly 40 percent of COVID-related deaths in the U.S. “could have been averted” had Trump treated the pandemic far more seriously than he did.

Joe Biden’s Re-Election Bid (2024)

Even before he announced his bid for re-election, there were calls for President Joe Biden to not seek a second term. Between his advanced age and low poll numbers, a likely rematch with former President Donald Trump seemed poised to result in a humiliating defeat. These concerns only became more apparent after a debate between Biden and Trump in June 2024 that was widely regarded as disastrous. With the election just months away, calls for Biden to step aside grew by the day. He ultimately did withdraw from the race in July, supporting his VP Kamala Harris[e], as the party’s nominee. Though Harris was able to pull together a campaign in a limited time, it wasn’t enough to keep Trump from returning to the White House.

Which of these decisions do you think had the worst impact? Let us know in the comments.

[a]coh-CHELLA https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Coachella
lawlla-puh-LOO-zuh https://forvo.com/search/lollapalooza/
bawnna-ROO https://forvo.com/search/Bonnaroo/
jaw rule https://forvo.com/search/ja%20rule/
[b]gold-min sacks https://forvo.com/search/Goldman%20Sachs/
[c]BANK-min freed https://forvo.com/search/Sam%20Bankman-Fried/
[d]LAN-sit https://youtu.be/sl1GPpZ3QBk?si=WyOoPyw1e4u7e4kr&t=924
[e]COMMA-luh / KAWMMA-luh https://youtu.be/sHky_Xopyrw?si=q4lj1-zwmFK0_QJp&t=62