# Richard M. Scrushy

> Richard Marin Scrushy is an American businessman, author and podcast host who co-founded HealthSouth in 1984 and led it until 2003. The company later became Encompass Health. He was acquitted in the 2005 criminal accounting-fraud trial, convicted in a separate 2006 bribery case involving Don Siegelman, and held liable in a 2009 civil judgment affirmed in 2011. His later public work includes a 2021 memoir and the Scrushy on Business podcast launched in 2025.

- **Role:** Co-host at Scrushy on Business
- **Organizations:** HealthSouth Corporation (later renamed Encompass Health Corporation), Lifemark Corporation, 7venth Power, Inc., Scrushy on Business, Dallas County Line, Proxy
- **From:** Selma, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** University of Alabama at Birmingham
- **Known for:** Co-founded HealthSouth in 1984 and led the company through its 1986 public offering., Received UAB National Alumni Society’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1992., Published the memoir It Should Not Happen in America in 2021.

## Career timeline

- **1952** — Born in Selma, Alabama; public biographies specify August but do not reliably establish a day.
- **1979-1984** — Worked at Lifemark Corporation, rising to a senior executive role.
- **1984** — Co-founded HealthSouth with Aaron Beam and other associates; became chairman and CEO.
- **1986** — HealthSouth went public.
- **1992** — Received UAB’s National Alumni Society Distinguished Alumni Award.
- **1995** — Performed with Dallas County Line; Cash Box reported a planned Curb Records signing.
- **2003** — Removed as chairman and CEO effective March 19 amid an accounting investigation.
- **2005** — Acquitted on June 28 of all 36 counts submitted to the jury in the accounting-fraud criminal trial.
- **2006** — Convicted June 29 in a separate bribery, conspiracy and honest-services mail-fraud case involving Don Siegelman.
- **2007** — Settled the SEC civil action for $81 million without admitting or denying allegations; judgment imposed a public-company officer and director bar. Began serving his criminal sentence.
- **2009** — A state civil court entered a $2,876,103,000 judgment against him.
- **2011** — Alabama Supreme Court affirmed the civil judgment; a federal appeal reversed two mail-fraud counts while leaving other convictions standing.
- **2012** — Released from federal custody after serving about five years.
- **2018** — HealthSouth adopted the Encompass Health corporate name, years after his departure.
- **2021** — Published It Should Not Happen in America through NewSouth Books on June 29.
- **2025** — Launched Scrushy on Business with Dave Greene; continued publicly challenging the circumstances of his prosecution.
- **2026** — Podcast episode listings included business planning and venture-capital fundraising discussions.

## Achievements

- Co-founded HealthSouth in 1984 and led the company through its 1986 public offering.
- Received UAB National Alumni Society’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1992.
- Published the memoir It Should Not Happen in America in 2021.
- Launched the Scrushy on Business podcast in July 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — Apple Podcasts lists a February 6 episode on venture-capital fundraising, traction and capital efficiency.
- **2025-11** — Bloomberg Law reported on November 21 that Scrushy sued Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, alleging conflicting representation; this reports his allegations, not a judicial finding.
- **2025-07** — Announced the launch of Scrushy on Business on July 31 with co-host Dave Greene.
- **2025-03** — A press release dated March 6 requested a Justice Department investigation into his prosecution; claims of wrongdoing are his allegations.

## Links

- Website: https://scrushyonbusiness.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-scrushy-7a20275b/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/RichardScrushy
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@scrushyonbusiness
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardscrushy1/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/richard-scrushy
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Last updated: 2026-10-23