Scandal on the tracks

Thomas Durant, head of Credit Mobilier company, realized that physically building the railroad was what earned the real money. So, he created Credit Mobilier, and built tracks of railroad, charging Union Pacific Railroad Company $50,000 for each mile of track his workers laid.
In reality, it only cost him $30,000 to lay each mile of track, and the $20,000 difference all went into his pocket, making him a very wealthy man.
In this way, Thomas Durant and other men grew rich off the railroad.
Durant’s schemes were discovered, which created the Credit Mobilier scam.