Until 2020, Wirecard was a global leading company in digital payment solutions.
But when a hole of nearly two billion euros was found in the company's books, it went bankrupt with 23 billion euros in debt.
Wirecard has admitted that the money in its books is missing and is suspected of having variously inflated its figures to drive up its own share price and manipulate the market.
On Thursday, the trial began against three people in the former company management, who are charged with, among other things, fraud, accounting violations and market manipulation.
According to the Reuters news agency, the former CEO faces up to 15 years in prison under German law, but denies all criminal charges.
People in Wirecard's management have been sought by the documentary makers of Wirecard: The Men Who Conned Germany but declined to comment or could not be reached.
Whistleblowers exposed the scandal
In the documentary, two previously anonymous employees come forward and tell how they discovered corruption and fraud in the company.
- We had good reason to remain anonymous because we were threatened, persecuted and harassed, says one of the whistleblowers, Pav Gill.
Several of the former company management fled the country when the scandal broke, and are still internationally wanted.
According to Reuters, 100 trial days have been set aside for the case.
Authorities in more than 20 countries have been implicated, from Singapore to Russia.
The verdict is not expected to come until 2024 at the earliest.
See Wirecard: The men who tricked Germany on SVT Play, or Thursday, December 8 at 10:30 p.m. on SVT1.