Wall Street (1987)

Trader's Film Library #3 · Markets and trading in fiction. A classic about how the fastest road to money in the markets often leads to prison.

Original title: Wall Street · Type: film · Created by: Oliver Stone · Usefulness for traders: ★★★★☆

What it's about

Young stockbroker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) wants to get into the world of Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas, who won an Oscar for the role) at any cost. He gets in by passing on inside information and soon learns what that kind of “success” costs.

What it has to do with markets

The film shows the 1980s world of stockbrokers: the phones, the pressure for results and trading on information you shouldn't have. The insider-trading storyline echoes the notorious scandals of the time. The famous “greed is good” became a symbol of the era. Two making-of documentaries were also produced: “Greed is Good” (2007) and “Money Never Sleeps” (2000).

Lessons for traders

• an edge from inside information is a crime, not a skill
• a mentor who promises fast money is usually selling something else (authority bias, Atlas of biases #30)
• results without a process aren't repeatable

What to watch out for

Trading in the film is mostly phones and rumours. It has little to do with reading the market or managing risk.

Discussion

The discussion takes place in Hetman Capital Club (in Polish). Join the discussion in the Club →

Navigation

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The description outlines the plot without revealing the ending where possible (true stories have a known outcome). Educational content, not investment advice.