A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, rampant capitalism held sway, free from the restraints of Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, SEC inquiries and European Commission investigations. There were large-scale scams, widespread corporate espionage, military-industrial alliances and interplanetary wars. Welcome to the world of Eve Online.

The sci-fi virtual universe, which celebrated its fourth anniversary at the weekend, has attracted chief executives, city traders, MBAs and economists to learn hard financial lessons they can take into the real world.