- (man) Easy! - (woman) Excuse me!
Good morning. Jackson Steinem.
- How you doing, Buddy? - Great, Carolyn.
Doing any better would be a sin.
Morning.
Morning, Dan. What's looking good today?
lf l knew, l wouldn't be in this business. Get out while you're young.
l came here one day, l sat down, and look at me now.
Look at you now.
Morning, Brian.
- Chuckie! How's the woman slayer? - Looking for an 18-year-old wife.
- How you doing, pal? - Well, if l had your looks, better.
Takes years of genetics, a Yale education and the right tailor.
Not that you learned anything, Chunk.
Marv, l got a feeling that we are gonna make a killing today.
Yeah? Where's your machine gun?
You can't make a buck in this market.
The country's going to hell faster than when Roosevelt was in charge!
Too much cheap money sloshing around the world.
Worst mistake we ever made was letting Nixon get off the gold standard.
Putney Drug - you boys might wanna look at it.
- No. They'll take five years to come around. - But they got a good new drug.
Stick to the fundamentals. That's how lBM and Hilton were built.
Good things sometimes take time.
(PA) Look sharp, especially you rookies. Nikkei lndex closed up 90 points last night.
We expect heavy Japanese buying on the opening.
The firm has 200,000 steel for sale. A million Big Blue. 350,000 pork and beans.
Get on the horn with your institutions. These utilities are our top priority today.
- OK. Let's go to work. - And they're off and running!
(bell rings)
We cleared up to 60,000 XGC at 48 1/2. Yes, that's right. Right.
- The marketjust doubled. - Brenner!
Research has put thrifts on the recommended.
What? Dump it for chrissake!
30,000. Three-eight top. l go along at 23. You got it.
Now you own it! Conwest Air? Let me check it.
Circle 29,000 Niagaras for Templeton.
Mr Harrison, are you aware that we are in the biggest bull market of our generation?
No, sir, it's not what you think. lf you take five minutes of your time...
Dreyfus is looking for 50,000 Conair!
September 50s? How about Decembers?
Mr Zaros? Bud Fox, Jackson Steinem.
Yes, sir, l am aware of that.
But if l could have five minutes to explain the opportunities emerging...
..in the international debt market.
No, no...
Bud Fox, Jackson Steinem.
Yes, l am aware of this. But if l could just explain the opportunities emerging...
- ..in the international debt market... - (line disconnects)
l'm sure that...
Yesterday concerns my future. l need the info now, before the close.
No, in ten minutes it's history. At four l'm a dinosaur!
Howard, l thought you were a gentleman. Sure it's gone down. You got the tip. l didn't.
- Why would l tell you to sell it? - Give it back!
To who? l can't give it back - you own it!
No, he's not here.
- (whispers) That's what you told us to say. - Gimme that phone.
- Hello? - Hello.
- Who am l talking to? - The sales manager. What's the problem?
What? Will you gimme a break? How was l supposed to know you were in surgery?
What am l - Marvin the Mindreader?!
Uh, no, sir. l'll discuss that with the account executive, and l'll get back to you.
No, no, sir. You're welcome.
l'm closing the account. lf he doesn't pay tomorrow, you pay.
Mr Lynch, l swear to you, he's lying.
We give you a rich man's account,...
..and you tell me he's gonna DK you for a lousy quarter point?
You're being unfair, sir. You know he's got a history for bullshit.
Somebody's got to pay.
Ain't gonna be me.
Buddy, Buddy. A little trouble, huh, today, Buddy?
Howard the jerk reneged on me. l gotta cover his losses to the tune of seven grand.
Yeah! l'm holding!
l'm tapped out. American Express got a hit man looking for me.
lt coulda been worse, right? Coulda been my money.
Here, here, rookie, let me help you out. l got... a C-note.
- Thanks, Marv. l'll make it up to you. - Yes, l am still here!
You know what my dream is? To one day be on the other end of that phone.
Oh, you got it, baby. Where the real cheesecake is.
Hey, Bud, you forgetting something?
The Gekko phone call?
When are you gonna realise it's the big game hunters who bag elephants, not guys like us.
- Gordon Gekko, please. - Gekko's beautiful.
30 seconds after the Challenger blew up, he's selling NASA stock short.
Yeah, but... 47 million he made on the Melcore deal.
23 on the lmperial deal before he was 40.
The guy makes 20 times what Dave Winfield makes in a year, and he talks to everybody.
And he had an ethical bypass at birth.
- Hello, Natalie. Guess who? - Mr Fox.
Right. Every day l say to myself that today could be the day. So will you marry me?
- l'll think about it. - Then can you get me through to Mr Gekko?
- He's very busy. - Of course he is. Five minutes is all l ask.
Mr Fox, l'm sure you're a good broker, but our traders deal with the brokers.
Mr Gekko deals with investment bankers.
- Tell him l called. There are big changes... - Yes, l'll give him your message.
Leo, l understand, but you have to realise there'll be major subordinated debt involved.
- Buddy, how ya doing? - Great, Charlie. Any better would be a sin.
Jesus Christ! Listen, l hear all you guys on Wall Street are millionaires.
- When you gonna make us all rich? - You need an account to win the lottery.
- Give me 50 grand. l'll get you a condo. - Sure! We'll own the airline by then!
Why don't he make himself rich, so he can pay off his school loans?
Nice to see you're in such a good mood, Dad. Did Mom give you fish for dinner?
You smoke too much. How often you gotta go to the hospital to realise?
Leave me alone. lt's the only thing that makes me feel good. There, Frank. All set.
Spaghetti! Your mother still makes lousy spaghetti.
- lt's pasta now. Spaghetti's out of date. - So am l. You want a beer?
Billie! Bring a Molson Lite for the kid!
- Looking good, huh? - He looks terrific.
Carl, we'll be at the bar.
- l'll catch up with you. - All right, Charlie.
So...
You look like you've grown another inch, but you don't look so hot, Buddy.
- You're gonna get bags under your eyes. - Yeah, l had a tough day.
- Some jerk DK'd me. l gotta cover his loss. - Speak English.
DK: Didn't Know who l was when the options he bought took a bath.
- Bastard reneged on me! - l told you not to get into that racket.
You coulda been a doctor or a lawyer.
lf you'd stayed at Bluestar, you coulda been a supervisor now, instead of being a salesman.
Dad, how many times l gotta tell you l am not a salesman? l'm an account executive.
Soon l'm moving into investment banking.
You ask strangers for money - you're a salesman.
Dad, it takes time. You gotta build a client list.
l can make more money in one year as a broker than in five at this airline.
Thank you, Billie.
l don't get it, kid. You borrow money to go to NYU. First year out, you make 35 grand.
You made 50 grand last year, and can't pay off your loans. Where does it go?!
Dad, 50K does not get you to first base in the Big Apple.
l got 40% in taxes, 15 grand for rent.
l got school loans, car loans, food - that's three bills a month. l need suits...
Come back home and live rent-free instead of that roach-infected place.
$50,000! Jesus Christ! The whole world's off its rocker!
l made $47,000 last year. That's before taxes.
That's Queens, Dad! A 5% mortgage and you rent the top room.
l gotta live in Manhattan to be a player. There is no nobility in poverty any more, Dad.
One day you'll be proud of me. You'll see.
lt's yourself you gotta be proud of, Huckleberry.
How much you need?
Can you spare 300? l'll pay you back next month, l promise.
- l don't know if l got that much on me. - Not in here. Please.
lt adds up. 300 here, 200 there. Your brother...
l always say money's something you need in case you don't die tomorrow. Right, Carl?
How you doing?
- How's work treating you? - Damn mandatory drug test.
They're driving us crazy. l got flagged for my blood pressure pills. Can you believe that?
The good news is we had a meeting with the controller about some union business.
Remember the accident last year and the investigation?
The FAA is gonna rule it was a manufacturing error in the door-latch mechanism. l knew it.
l kept telling 'em it wasn't maintenance. lt's the greedy manufacturers in Cincinnati.
- That's great. - This gets us out from under suspension.
We can go for those new routes to Pittsburgh and Boston. We'll compete with the big guys.
To Bluestar. As your broker, all l can advise is you hold on to that stock.
What stock? Are you kiddin'?
- Are you sure about this thing? - What?
- The FAA announcement. - Sure l'm sure.
Look at me. You got that mischievous look in your eye, Buddy.
You used to smile like that when you were a kid sleeping.
lt's true. Just like that.
(** computer plays "Happy Birthday")
Morning, Gordon.
Delivery for Mr Gekko. lt's a personal item. He needs you to sign for it.
Send him in.
Hello, Natalie. Recognise the voice? Here's a hint - you're thinking about marrying me.
- Why are you here? - You're lovelier than l pictured.
- Got a birthday present for Mr Gekko. - You can't come barging in here.
- What makes you think it's his birthday? - Well, it's in the bible, see?
You better go buy him a gift.
Please, Natalie, let me give this to him. Cuban cigars. His favourite and tough to get.
Please, Natalie?
Stay here. l'll see what l can do.
Wait outside.
Yeah, l'll see you shortly, l hope.
Five minutes.
Well, life all comes down to a few moments.
This is one of 'em.
What the hell's going on?
l'm looking at 200,000 shares move, pal. l wanna know if we're part of it.
We'd better be, or l'm gonna come and eat your lunch for you. Back in two.
Sorry, Jeff. Look, l loved it at 40. lt's an insult at 50.
Their analysts don't know preferred stock from livestock.
Wait till it heads south, then we raise the sperm count on the deal. Get back at ya.
This is the kid. Calls me 59 days in a row. Wants to be a player.
Oughta be in the dictionary under "persistence".
Listen, Jerry, l'm looking for negative control. No more than 30, 35%.
Just enough to block anybody else's merger plans, and find out if the books are cooked.
lf it looks as good as on paper, we're in the kill zone, pal.
Lunch? You kiddin'? Lunch is for wimps. OK, Billy. l'll talk at ya.
How do you do, Mr Gekko? l'm Bud Fox.
So you say. Nice to meet you. Hope you're intelligent.
- Where'd you get these? - l got a connection at the airport.
So what's on your mind, kemo sabe? Why am l listening to you?
l gotta monitor my blood pressure, so don't upset me.
No. No, sir.
ln 45 seconds, the microprocessor computes your systolic and diastolic pressure.
Got an LCD read-out, cost-effective... Less than one visit to a doctor.
l just wanna let you know l've read all about you at NYU Business. l think you're a genius.
l've always dreamed of one thing and that's to do business with a man like you.
- What firm you with? - Jackson Steinem.
They're going places. Good junk-bond department.
You the financing on that Jansen investment?
Yeah. l'm working on some other interesting stuff.
Cosmetic company, by any chance?
Are you twelfth man on the deal team? Last to know?
- l can't tell you that, Mr Gekko. - So what you got for me, sport?
Chart breakout on Whitewood-Young lndustries.
Explosive earnings. A 30% discount from book. Great cash flow. Couple of 5% holders.
- lt's a dog. - Strong management.
lt's a dog, pal. What else you got besides connections at the airport?
(secretary) Mr Stevenson in San Francisco.
- He respond? - Lecturing on economics.
- What?! - No, he's in Chicago.
Why the hell is Cromwell giving a lecture tour when he's losing 60 million a quarter?!
Guess he's giving lectures in how to lose money.
lf this guy owned a funeral parlour, no one would die! This turkey is braindead!
OK. All right, Christmas is over, and business is business.
You keep on buying. Dilute the son of a bitch!
Ollie, l want every orifice in his fuckin' body flowin' red!
He's flowin', Gordo. Piece of cake.
This guy's the best trader on the street.
Susan, get me the LBO analysis on Teldar Paper. Bring it in here, please.
- (intercom) Mr Gekko, your wife. - What else you got?
Terafly. Analysts don't like it. l do. The break-up value is twice the market price.
This deal finances itself. You sell off two divisions...
Not bad for a quant, but that's a dog with different fleas.
Come on, pal. Tell me something l don't know.
lt's my birthday.
Surprise me.
- Bluestar. - What?
- Bluestar Airlines. - Rings a bell somewhere. So what?
lt's a comer. 80 medium-body jets. 300 pilots.
Flies to Florida, Canada, uh, Northeast, the Caribbean.
- Great slots in major cities. - l don't like airlines. Lousy unions.
Well, there was a crash last year.
They just got a favourable ruling on a lawsuit.
Even the plaintiffs don't know about it.
Well, how do you know about it?
l just know.
The decision should clear the way for new planes and routes.
There's only a small float. You should grab it. Good for a five-point pop.
250,000 shares at 18 1/4 from Jansen.
l can pull twice that at 18 1/2 from the California pensions.
We got close to half a million shares in the bag.
The Terminator! Blow 'em away, Ollie!
We got the Beezer Brothers. l'm working on the Silverberg boys.
Rip their fuckin' throats out! Stuff 'em in your garbage compactor!
lnteresting. Got a card?
Home number's on the back.
Bud Fox, l look at a hundred deals a day. l choose one.
- l hope to hear from you, sir. - Thanks for the cigars.
Let's go, guys. Looks like we're going over 5% in Teldar.
Start the lawyers on a tender offer and 13D.
We buy everything in sight, but we don't pay over 22.
They'll fight. They got Myers and Thromberg doing their legal.
- Thanks, Natalie. - Have a nice day, Mr Fox.
Mr Gekko, your conference call is ready. Mr Sugarman in Delaware, Mr Bernard in LA,...
..Mr Jackson and Ms Rosco in London. They're all on.
Please, l'm begging you. l'm in a bind down here.
We got all these damn new computers and young men that are edging me out here.
Hey, Bud! Did he see you?
Yeah, he saw right through me.
Cheer up. You shook Gekko's hand and you still got all your fingers.
Besides, he's not the only elephant in the jungle.
Holy cow! Did you get something from him? Teldar Paper, huh?
Nah. lt's a dog with fleas.
Fox, where have you been for the last three hours, hm?
lf l were you, and l thank my personal God l am not,...
..l wouldn't be sitting around chinwagging.
Plenty of six-figure names in that zip-code pile to cold-call.
Buddy, l got tickets for the Knick game tonight. Cruise some chicks afterwards.
Whaddaya say?
- No, l gotta read my charts. - Forget charts, will ya?
We're not fund managers. Churn 'em and burn 'em!
l am offering you the Knicks and chicks.
God help you before you turn into poor Steeples over there.
Preferably Lou Mannheim.
Yeah, nice guy, but he's a loser. He lost all his equity when the firm went belly-up in '71.
You wanna be in your sixties still pitching?
Hey, Buddy, whatever happened to that cute analyst at Thudder and Wicks?
Cindy. Having sex with her was like reading the Wall Street Journal.
- She had a heartbeat. - You wanna bet?
l gotta get to work. Zs today.
Call for you, Buddy! Pick up two!
- Bud Fox. - All right, Bud Fox.
l want you to buy 20,000 shares of Bluestar...
..at fifteen and an eighth, three-eighths tops.
And don't screw it up, sport.
- Think you can handle that? - Yes, sir! Thank you. You won't regret this.
Whoo! Marv, l just bagged the elephant!
Gekko?
- Hiya, sport. - Nice to see you again, Mr Gekko.
Try the steak tartare. lt's off the menu. Louis'll make it for you.
- (Louis) Of course, sir. Anything to drink? - Just an Evian, please.
Hey, see this? Can you believe it? lt's got a two-inch screen.
l can hardly see it.
lt's for my kid - Rudy. Three years old, he's an electronics freak.
We're going into a new age, pal.
So how's business today?
Great. Bluestar was at 17 1/4 when l left the office. Up from 15.
Might spin up to 18 by the bell.
Teldar's shooting up. Did you buy any for yourself?
l bet you were on the phone two minutes after you got out of my office.
No, sir, that wouldn't have been legal.
Sure. Relax, pal. No one's gonna blow the whistle on you.
ls that legal? Why don't you put that in my account?
- Hey, Gordon! - Georgie! The cellular king! How you been?
- Monique, nice to see you, my dear. - Hello, Gordon.
- You look wonderful. - You're looking very well yourself.
And Mr Davis...
Can l get the check here, please? For chrissakes!
Cover that Bluestar buy. Put 200 thou on one of those bow-wow stocks you mentioned.
Pick the dog with the least fleas. Use a stop-loss, so your downside's 100 thou.
And buy a decent suit. You can't come in here looking like this.
Go to Morty Sills. Tell him l sent you.
Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr Gekko. Thank you for the chance. You will not regret this.
You're with a winner.
Right... right...
Put the rest of the money in a tax-free fund. l wanna see how you do before l invest it.
And save the cheap salesman talk. lt's obvious.
- Excuse me, sir? - You heard me.
l don't like losses, sport. Nothing ruins my day more than losses.
Now you do good... you get perks.
Lots and lots of perks.
- Louis, take care of my friend. - Thank you, sir.
Have a good lunch, Buddy.
Hi, Richard.
(knock on door)
Hi, Bud.
Hi.
l'm Lisa. A friend of Gordon's.
Lisa? Gordon? Oh, oh, Mr Gekko. Sure.
Uh, would you like to come in?
Didn't he tell you?
Oh, that's so like Gordon.
Why don't you get dressed? We're going out.
We are?
So... where are we going?
Wherever you like.
Lutéce. 21. The River Café.
Or maybe we could just...
..drive around for a while.
Work up an appetite.
Want some?
Gordon tells me that you're a very talented broker.
What do you like?
Like? (clears throat) Well...
l've got this guy who tells me to buy Hewlett-Packard,...
..but l've been burned on tips.
Uh... Hewlett. Now, let's see. lt closed at 41 1/4.
Up an eighth. Very attractive.
About, uh... average yield.
- Very attractive. - Mmm...
- Rising profits. - Ooh!
Strong balance sheet.
You're hot on this stock.
Uh... lt's ready to take off.
l'd jump all over it if l were you.
- Good morning, Carolyn. - Morning. You look happy.
- Any better and l'd be guilty. - You were never innocent, sugar pie.
How do you know? You wish!
Goddamn! We sure went down the toilet on that ugly bitch!
Oh, Buddy! Mr Gekko's office is looking for you. Be at the Wyatt Club courts at six.
Come on, sport. You gotta try harder.
l need some exercise, for chrissakes.
- l don't think l can go on, Mr Gekko. - Push yourself. Finish out the game.
lt's a very nice club, Mr Gekko.
Yeah.
Not bad for a City College boy.
Bought my way in. Now all these lvy League schmucks are sucking my kneecaps.
l just got on the board of the Bronx Zoo.
lt cost me a mil.
That's the thing you gotta remember about WASPs.
They love animals, but they can't stand people.
Uh, Mr Gekko,...
..we took a little loss today.
We got stopped out on Terafly. About a hundred grand.
Well, l guess your dad's not a union representative of that company, huh?
How do you know about my father?
The most valuable commodity l know of is information.
Wouldn't you agree?
Yeah.
The public's out there throwing darts at a board, sport.
l don't throw darts at a board. l bet on sure things.
Read Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
"Every battle is won before it's ever fought."
Think about it.
You're not as smart as l thought you were.
You ever wonder why fund managers can't beat the S&P 500?
Cos they're sheep. And sheep get slaughtered.
l've been in this business since '69.
Most of these Harvard MBA types don't add up to dogshit.
You need guys that are poor, smart and hungry. And no feelings.
You win a few, you lose a few, but you keep on fighting.
And if you need a friend, get a dog. lt's trench warfare out there, pal.
- Hey, Georgie. - Hey, Gordon.
- How's Larchmont treating you? - Fine. How's the Praxar deal going?
- You should know, pal. - Asshole!
And inside here, too.
l got 20 other brokers analysing charts, pal. l don't need another one.
See you around, Buddy.
l am notjust another broker, Mr Gekko. lf you give me another chance, l'll prove it.
l'll go the extra yard for you. Just one more chance, Mr Gekko. Please!
Want another chance? Then stop sending me information, and start getting me some.
Get dressed. l'll show you my charts.
- You know the name? - Larry Wildman, one of the first raiders.
Sir Larry Wildman. Like all Brits, thinks he was born with a better pot to piss in.
Bribed an old secretary of mine to open her mouth.
Stole RDL Pharmaceuticals right from under me.
Wildman, the "White Knight".
l remember that deal. You were involved, Mr Gekko?
Payback time, sport.
See that building? l bought that building ten years ago. My first real-estate deal.
Sold it two years later. Made an $800,000 profit.
lt was better than sex.
At the time l thought that was all the money in the world. Now it's a day's pay.
Anyway, l had a mole in Wildman's operation.
- He gave me half the picture, then got fired. - l don't think l follow you.
Wildman's in town. He just became an American citizen.
Something big is going down, OK?
l wanna know where he goes, what he sees. l want you, pal, to fill out the missing picture.
Mr Gekko, it's not exactly what l do. l could lose my licence.
lf the SEC found out, l could go to jail. That's inside information, isn't it?
Like when a father tells his son about a court ruling on an airline?
Or someone overhears l'm buying Teldar, and decides he's gonna buy some?
Or the chairman of the board of XYZ decides it's time to blow out XYZ?
ls that what you mean?
Unless your father's on the board of directors of another company,...
..you and l are gonna have a very tough time doing business together.
- What about hard work? - What about it? You work hard?
Bet you stayed up analysing that stock you gave me. Where'd it get you?
My father worked like an elephant till he dropped dead at 49 with a heart attack.
Wake up, will ya, pal?
lf you're not inside, you are outside, OK?
l'm not talking about some $400,000-a-year Wall Street stiff,...
..flying first class and being comfortable. l'm talking about liquid.
Rich enough to have your own jet.
Rich enough not to waste time.
Fifty, a hundred million dollars, Buddy.
A player,...
..or nothing.
Now you had what it took to get into my office.
The real question is whether you got what it takes to stay.
Look at that.
You're gonna tell me the difference between this guy and that guy is luck?
Mohammed, pull over.
lf you don't mind, l'm gonna drop you off here. l'm late.
Buddy, it's been nice meeting you, OK?
(Buddy taps on window)
All right, Mr Gekko.
You got me.
Excuse me, please.
Excuse me.
l'm sorry, sir. Do you have a reservation?
- Uh, table for one. - Reservations only. We're booked for a week.
All right. Don't touch.
Everything ready, sir.
Excuse me! ls Mr Wildman on board that plane?
Shit! My boss is gonna kill me! l'm supposed to give him this.
- You know where that plane is going? - Erie, Pennsylvania.
Thank you.
After spending the morning at Kahn Seidelman in the junk-bond department,...
..he had lunch at that restaurant, Le Circus, with some well-dressed bean counters.
He later stopped off at Morgan. l'd say from all the smiling and palm-pressing...
..Larry got himself some nice fat financing, GG.
Bright, but not bright enough, Sherlock. Roll the dice and play Monopoly.
What box is Sir Larry gonna land on in Erie, Pennsylvania?
Jesus Christ! He's buying Anacott Steel.
OK. When the market opens tomorrow, l want you to buy 1500 July 50 calls.
- You hear me? - Yes, sir.
And start buying 1,000-share blocks and take it up to $50.
When it reaches 50, give out a little taste to your friends.
Then l want you to call the Wall Street Chronicle, extension 1605.
You tell the man "Blue Horseshoe loves Anacott Steel".
- You got that? - The Wall Street Chronicle.
Congratulations, Buddy. You scored. l'll talk at ya.
Start buying Anacott Steel across the board.
Use the offshore accounts.
And keep it quiet.
Frank, 10,000 ANC at 46. Let me know how the options are opening, OK?
Thank you.
Jackson Steinem!
- How is Anacott Steel? - 5 3/4, 6. 2,000 up.
- Six at 10,000. - l'll sell you 2,000.
That's not what l said. l said 20,000 shares.
(trader) Anacott trades at six.
- 8,000 at a quarter? - l'll take 8,000.
Make it six to a half, 2,000 up.
(Marvin) l know what time it is, and this is what l'm saying.
We have important financial news, Mr Erlich, that just happens to concern your future.
- You could benefit... What's going on? - Anacott Steel. Put your best customers in it.
Lou, l got a sure thing.
Anacott Steel.
No such thing, except death and taxes. Not a good company any more. No fundamentals.
What's goin' on, Bud?
You know something?
Remember, there are no short cuts, son.
Quick-buck artists come and go with every bull market.
The steady players make it through the bear markets.
You're a part of something here, Bud.
The money you make for people creates science and research jobs. Don't sell that out.
You're right, but you gotta get to the big time first, then you can do good things.
- You can't get a little bit pregnant, son. - Lou, trust me. lt's a winner. Buy it.
We'll kamikaze over to Nell's, chase some cotton underwear.
l know this 18-year-old bimbette that's gorgeous. Hold on.
- Play tennis Saturday? - Can't. Fly-fishing in Canada. Real big client.
- Take Anacott? - Light snack, but good. Thanks, pal.
You're sharking your way up.
No, no, my dear, you've got to diversify.
l got a sure thing. Anacott Steel.
l've just heard the most lovely two words.
Blue Horseshoe loves Anacott Steel.
Anacott Steel.
Looks like Anacott Steel's in play. Check the ARBs.
Looks like it's being accumulated.
Lou? Anacott. l buy. Yeah. Take it and bid it.
Quarters won't matter. Keep taking Anacott.
This is special. Anacott. Paint the tape.
- Bet the ranch. - Buy 100,000 shares.
- Wildman is sniffing around. - lt's on automatic pilot to the moon.
- lf it hits 75, we'll clean 24 mil. - (Gekko) Relax, pal.
Don't get emotional about stock. lt clouds the judgment.
Which closed at 5 1/8, up 5 1/8 from yesterday's close on heavy trading.
Can l help you?
Yes, l'm Bud Fox. l have some papers for Mr Gekko to sign.
- Come in. - Thank you.
- l'm sorry about this, Mr Gekko. - lt's all right. lt's OK.
You wanna wait here?
Problems?
No problem. This is Bud Fox. My wife, Kate.
- Hello. You came out from the city? - Yes, ma'am.
Ah, long drive. You want a drink?
Yeah, you want a drink? Um... sure.
- lf you'd rather not. - No, come on. Have a drink.
Get to meet all the people. lt's a good idea.
We got Sam Ruspoli, Carmen Winters, Stone Livingston. This is Bud Fox.
His illustrious wife, Muffie.
Candice Rogers, Dick Brady. Darien Taylor. All old friends.
Hi.
Great idea, Gordon. l know good help is hard to find, but can it create a dry vodka martini?
lt doesn't talk back or steal the silverware.
And Dick here is gonna get me an exemption, aren't you?
l'm in St Kitts with this new Kamali leopard-skin V-cut bikini,...
..which is gonna turn back the clock on my marriage five years. Know what l mean?
Call for you, sir. Sir Lawrence Wildman. He says it's important.
Thank you, Nyung.
Would you fix Mr Livingston another martini? Stick around. This could be fun.
lt's all because this Ukrainian bitch botched the job on my wax on my bikini line.
How ghastly! Sue her.
- Larry, what a surprise! - l want to see you, Gordon.
Can it wait till tomorrow? l got people here.
- No, this can't wait. lt's important. - OK. lf you feel that way, come on over.
Ah! There you are! Can l steal him for a minute?
- Of course. - l want your opinion.
So what do you see in this?
Purity. lnnocence.
A few thousand dollars down the tubes, if you ask me.
Really?
You can kiss your career as an art appraiser goodbye.
We paid over 400,000 for it at the contemporary picture sale last June.
Jesus, you could've had a whole beach house for that!
Sure you could. ln Wildwood, New Jersey.
lf you sold this one, you could have a nice penthouse on Fifth.
You wouldn't have much left over for decoration.
lt's nice, if you're on mushrooms.
l thought Gordon was a tough businessman. He sure has taken a bath on that.
A bath? l'd say Gordon is one of the most astute collectors around.
He has a great eye, and he only buys the best.
Like this rug, for instance. A Bokhara. lt's the finest of its kind.
After he bought it, a dealer representing the Saudi royal family...
..offered him twice what he paid. lt absolutely makes the room.
See how this bit of celadon in the border is picked up by these cushions?
Although it's a sacrilege having that Etruscan vase on the table.
Some dope might use it as an ashtray.
- l guess you're a decorator? - You got it.
A great spender of other people's money.
lf you're that good, l'm sure you can do wonders with my place.
- Where would that be? - Upper West Side.
Really? Home of the exposed brick wall and the houseplant?
lt's just a rental. l'll be moving to the East Side soon. Some deals brewing with Gordon.
But that's just conversation. What about real things?
Like dinner? The two of us... next Friday? Café Santo Domingo.
What if l have a previous engagement?
You break it.
There you go again, Darien. Talking with strange men.
Hello. Sam, do you know Bud Fox? Sam is in banking.
- Works for Gordon. - Nice meeting you.
- Are you staying for dinner? - No, l have work to do.
- (doorbell) - Ah. The bell.
Excuse me.
Call me next week. l'll give you an estimate.
- Larry, how have you been? - Fine. Travelling, actually.
- Can l get you a drink? - No, thank you.
Larry! Excuse me. Sir Larry.
How are ya? Goddamn, you look great!
- Gordon. - So you wanna talk.
- l'll be heading back now, Mr Gekko. - Stick around.
This is one of my gang. Bud Fox.
Shall we go upstairs?
Yeah.
The rarest pistol in the world, Larry.
A .45 Luger.
Only six of 'em were ever manufactured.
Congratulations.
Rarer still is your interest in Anacott Steel.
My interest is the same as yours. Money. Thought it'd be a good investment for my kid.
No, this time l'm in for the long term. lt's not a liquidation. l'm gonna turn it around.
You're getting a free ride on my tail, mate.
With the dollars you're costing me to buy back stock, l could modernise the plant.
l'm not the only one who pays here, Gordon.
We're talking about lives and jobs. Four generations of steelworkers...
Correct me if l'm wrong, but when you got CNX Electronics, you laid off 6,000 workers.
Jemson Fruit, 4,000. That airline you bought, um...
l could break you, mate. ln two pieces over my knees.
You know it. l know it.
l could buy you six times over.
l could dump the stockjust to burn your arse!
But l happen to want the company, and l want your block of shares.
l'm announcing a tender offer at 65 tomorrow.
l'm expecting your commitment.
Showdowns bore me, Larry. Nobody wins. You can have the company.
ln fact, it'll be fun watching you and your giant ego trying to make a horse race of it.
Buddy, what's a fair price for that stock?
The break-up value is higher. lt's worth 80.
Well, we don't want to be greedy. So what do you say to 72?
You're a two-bit pirate and greenmailer. Nothing more,...
..Gekko.
Not only would you sell your mother to make a deal, you'd send her COD.
My mail is the same colour as yours is, pal.
Or at least it was until the Queen started calling you "Sir".
Excuse me before l lose my temper.
71?
Considering you brought my mother into it,...
..71.50.
Done.
You'll hear from my lawyers tomorrow, 8am. Good night.
He's right, l had to sell. The key to the game is capital reserves.
lf you don't have enough, you can't piss in the tall weeds with the big dogs.
"All warfare is based on deception." Sun Tzu.
"lf your enemy is superior, evade him."
"lf angry, irritate him."
"lf equally matched, fight. And if not, split. Re-evaluate."
He's learning, huh? Buddy's learning!
(phone ringing)
- Yeah? - (Gekko) Money never sleeps, pal.
Just made 800,000 in Hong Kong gold. lt's been wired to you.
Play with it. You done good, but you gotta keep doing good.
l showed you how the game works. Now school's out.
Mr Gekko, l'm there for you 110%.
No, no, no, no. You don't understand. l wanna be surprised.
Astonish me, pal. New info. l don't care where or how you get it.
Just get it.
My wife tells me you made a move on Darien.
Here's some inside info for you.
That GQ type she's going out with got big bucks,...
..but he's putting her feet to sleep.
Exit visas are imminent.
l don't want you losing your place in line.
Ah, Jesus!
l wish you could see this.
The light's coming up.
l've never seen a painting that captures the beauty of the ocean...
..at a moment like this.
l'm gonna make you rich, Bud Fox.
Yeah. Rich enough that you can afford a girl like Darien.
This is your wake-up call, pal.
Go to work.
- Fox! - Mr Barnes.
Buddy D, is this déjâ vu? What's it been? A year, year and a half?
So, l hear you're moving up in the world.
A senior associate. Not bad. Not bad. How's Margie?
l can't complain. l got a house in Oyster Bay, you know.
Market treating you good?
- Still seeing that sexy French chick? - No. No. She asked the wrong question.
- What was that? - "What are you thinking?"
The hours are hell, but the cash is starting to tumble in.
l know this guy who has an ironclad way of making money. l can't lose or get hurt.
Can't get hurt. So does this guy have a tip for an honest lawyer?
Maybe. Check out Teldar Paper,...
..but don't quote me.
And you? l hear you're handling the Fairchild Foods merger, and it may not go through.
Any surprises l haven't read about in the Wall Street Journal?
Come on, that's illegal. You wouldn't wanna get me disbarred.
Who's listening? Just one college buddy talking to another.
- Yeah, right. - Oh, relax, Roger.
Everybody's doing it now.
But, if you don't know, then... you don't know.
And if l did...
..what's in it for moi?
More money than you ever dreamed of.
Nobody gets hurt.
You think about it.
- Let's grab a beer. What do you say? - Uh... too much to do. But l'll walk you out.
The file's on the desk, Marie.
Get inside my uncle's door and the secrets of the world are yours.
Lifeblood of companies...
Of course, you gotta go to law school first, but...
Mr Panos, l've been charting the growth of office space.
You're in the right business at the right time.
Thank you for tell me what l already know.
Look, l'm very impressed with your work, and l could use a tax break.
Let me ask, what would you say to some working capital and a partner?
Why do l need a partner?
Look, you need more vans. 42 employees can't cover the buildings you got,...
..not to mention the clients we'd have together.
l am an expert at identifying undervalued assets such as this business.
The good news, Gordon, is Rorker Electronics.
That's right. l see it happening in the next two months.
Come on, their quarterlies are for shit.
l got a little gift for you.
Gordon will be very pleased. What else have you got?
You know Marty Weidman?
He netted 650G off of that merger. 26 years old, the guy's Rambo.
- He's an asshole! - He is Rambo!
He's got a Porsche Turbo Cabriolet, about 75 thou.
l think if l can make a bundle of cash before l'm 30 and get out of this racket,...
..l'll be able to ride my motorcycle across China.
l'd like to do for furniture what Laura Ashley did for interior fabrics.
Produce a line of high-quality antiques at a low price.
Sounds great. l'll take you public.
You will?
Can l help you?
Oh. Excuse me. ls this Bill Bates' office?
No.
l'm sorry.
Hiya, Dad.
- What brings you out here? - Client's got a private jet at Butler.
- Hey, Buddy. How ya doing? - Mr Wall Street!
The bozos that keep us in the air!
- Give us a hand. - Do an honest day's work.
All right. Change the oil, fill the tyres and park it out back.
This kid wanna buy the plane?
- You always light up when you see me. - Don't start, all right?
All right.
So who peed in your Cheerios?
Goddamn fare wars are killing us!
Management's gonna lay off five of my men this week.
l'm sorry about that.
- So how much you need? - l don't need anything. l'm doing great.
New client, new ball game. Things are starting to happen.
Sure. Lots of guys at the track talk like that.
How do you know you'll have any dough next month? Jesus Christ, what is this?
lt's a dividend.
l've borrowed at least five grand over the years.
Oh, stop it. Put this towards your school loan.
Forget the loans. Look, Dad, things are good and it's gonna stay that way.
- Buy yourself a new suit. - What do l need a suit for?
l don't hobnob with the jet set. l just fix their planes.
Then get a decent bowling jacket, so you don't look like the Roto-Rooter man.
Come on, what's money for? Enjoy yourself.
Money is a pain in the ass, if you ask me. But thanks, kid.
- How about dinner? - Sure. Any night this week.
OK. No, l'm sorry. This week's booked.
- l'll check with my girl. l'll get back to you. - You do that, Huckleberry.
l gotta run. You stop smoking, you hear?
l'll talk at ya.
Whoo! Oh!
(Darien shrieks)
(man) lt's in both our interests to put a safe distance between you and us.
- You understand that, Mr Fox? - Sure.
This gives you limited power of attorney for Mr Gekko's account.
Every ticket you buy must be marked "power of attorney".
That means that you call the shots.
Mr Gekko has no official knowledge of what stocks you're buying. All right?
Just sign it at the end, twice.
l never knew how poor l was until l started making money.
Your transactions will be monitored by StockWatch.
lf any trouble does arise, you are on your own out there.
The trail stops with you, understand?
Spread the buy orders over different accounts, you won't get burnt.
l have friends that won't mind making easy money.
- (child shrieks) - Rudy Gazoodi! How's my cutie?! Viens ici!
(man) We need more votes for the showdown, but don't wanna go public...
- Bonjour, Monsieur Buddy. - Bonjour, Monsieur Buddy.
Oh! He speaks French already.
Kid had the highest score in his lQ test.
lt is so difficult to get into a good nursery school now.
They even go to your home to make sure you're acceptable.
That's it for you with the grown-ups.
- Nicole, would you take him for a nap now? - Viens, mon petit.
Give him a bath and put that cute little black suit on him.
This is a contact at one of our offshore banks.
On settlement day you'll open an account for Mr Gekko...
..under the name Geneva Roth Holding Corp.
Then you'll wire-transfer the money to this account in the Cayman lslands.
You're gonna make a lot of money, pal.
The stakes are going up. No mistakes.
Piece of cake, Gordon.
lf l could have anything,...
..this would almost do.
Almost.
How'd your conference go with Gordon?
lt went fine. We reached an agreement, and decided to split up the world between us.
(Darien laughs)
You have modest wants. l like that in a man.
- What do you want? - Let's see.
A Turner. A perfect canary diamond.
World peace.
The best of everything.
Well, why stop at that?
l don't.
My client wants to buy a large block of Teldar. He needs to spread it around.
l'll park some money in your account. lf it hits, you get a big cut.
l'm telling you, this is the easiest money you've ever made.
All right, Bud.
Let's do it.
We go way back, Harry.
You know, l-l-l've put a lot of money into this firm over the years.
- l brought in a lot of business. - You've taken enough out, too.
- You should have something put aside. - With the divorces l haven't had a chance.
- The bridges are burned. - When you fire me l'm finished. On the street.
- How do you think l feel about this? - How do you think l feel?
l've got responsibilities. l've got two kids...
What's going on?
Lynch is giving him the boot. Not pulling his quota.
We're all one trade away from humility.
New report on GM and a conference call in defence stock in my office, 7 am tomorrow.
No RSVP required. Just be there.
Now, on a more inspiring note, the new office record...
..for a single month's gross commission from the wealthy individual accounts...
..goes to Bud Fox. Shows cold calling does work, fellas.
Way to go, Bud. Superjob. Come on up here.
Bud, congrats. You just made my life twice as hard around here.
You're on a roll, kid. Enjoy it while it lasts, cos it never does.
Just kicking ass and taking names, Lou.
Come along with me, Bud.
This is yours now, Bud.
Credenza. Tree. Windows.
And, significantly more attractive, your private secretary Janet.
- Nice to meet you, Mr Fox. - Hello, Janet.
Well, l don't really know what to say. Thank you, Mr Lynch.
No, l thank you, Bud.
The minute l laid my eyes on you l knew that you had what it takes.
Now you can focus on the big-ticket retail.
Oh, this is very nice. This is very nice.
So what is it? Mr Cocksucker now?
Everybody hates the Upper East Side. They wanna live on the West Side.
But when it's resale time the East Side moves all the time.
What have you got on the West Side? Sean and Madonna?! Trust me.
Massage, sauna, Jacuzzi... tanning salon.
Best schools in the city.
A cute young boy like you gotta think of a future lady friend in your life...
..when you've finished wolfing around.
Course, l'm taken.
Oak strip floors.
My husband can get you a 10% mortgage.
l would do it myself, except l'm into four other deals right now.
So, l got a four o'clock and a five. One's an all-cash type. Monique something or other.
Look, maybe you'd like to see something cheaper that l got on First Avenue?
Honey, the meter's running. Anybody home?
All right. Offer 950.
l got something over on Sutton Place.
lt's a million and a half, but now we're talking duplex.
No.
This is it. This is home.
(** "This Must Be the Place" by Talking Heads)
That's enough gold over there.
Like it?
l'm having House & Garden come up next week to photograph it before it gets lived in.
Do you mind?
Hey! Jerry! Come at me. Whaddaya got?
No, no. 37 1/2.
Convert the bonds and check the price in Tokyo at eight o'clock your time. Right.
l'm spilling everything.
(** aria from "Rigoletto"playing on stereo)
(Bud tries to sing along in mock ltalian)
lsn't it perfect?
lt's too perfect.
Let's not even eat.
Let's just watch it... think about it.
Who am l?
Bud, come to bed.
One million six. Seven.
On my left now. Against you, 1,800,000.
1,900,000. New bidder this side. $2m here now.
Not yours. At $2,100,000. $2,100,000.
Fair warning, then. Selling for $2,100,000. All done.
For you, sir. $2,100,000.
Whaddaya say we get a suite at the Carlyle?
Champagne, caviar...? Celebrate just like old times?
Come on, Gordon. Those days are over.
Well, you can't blame me for trying.
You're as beautiful as that painting l just bought.
Sunshine, what's wrong? l think you got a bad case of puppy love.
l think l'm falling for Bud.
Don't fall too far. He hasn't been around the block yet. You have.
- Told him about us? - No! Are you crazy?
- l don't want him to ever know, understand? - Mum is the word.
You and l are the same, Darien.
We are smart enough not to buy into the oldest myth running - love.
Fiction created by people to keep them from jumping out of windows.
You know, sometimes l miss you, Gordon. You're really twisted.
For chrissake, Jack, it's easy!
On settlement day you endorse a cheque to Blue Horseshoe Trading Company.
Then l'll send you your cut.
What? No, that's the bottom line. Nobody gets hurt.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
lt's so bad, even the liars are complaining. But not you. You're making big money.
- What's the bottom line? - Hey, look!
l am sick and tired of playing wet nurse to you!
- Will you do your own homework, Marv! - What an asshole, man!
That's a shame.
Yeah, Frank. Work 500,000 shares Teldar with a limit of 26. New account.
Don't fuck it up.
- How's Teldar doing? - Back again?
- l've got a real appetite. - Bring it five to a half. 2,000 up.
- l gotta buy stock. What's offered at a half? - What are we looking at?
- Make me an offer on 80. - 80,000 at a half.
l'll take it.
Your company, ladies and gentlemen, is under siege from Gordon Gekko.
Teldar Paper is now leveraged to the hilt, like some piss-poor South American country!
l strongly recommend you to see through Mr Gekko's shameless intention here...
..to strip this company, and severely penalise the stockholders.
l strongly recommend you to reject his tender...
..by voting for management's restructuring of the stock.
Well, l appreciate the opportunity you're giving me, Mr Cromwell,...
..as the single largest shareholder in Teldar Paper, to speak.
(laughter)
We are not here to indulge in fantasy, but in political and economic reality.
America... America has become a second-rate power.
lts trade deficit and its fiscal deficit are at nightmare proportions.
ln the days of the free market, when our country was a top industrial power,...
..there was accountability to the stockholder.
The Carnegies, the Mellons, the men that built this great empire, made sure of it...
..because it was their money at stake.
Today, management has no stake in the company!
All together, these men sitting up here own less than 3% of the company.
And where does Mr Cromwell put his $1,000,000 salary?
Not in Teldar stock. He owns less than 1%.
You own the company. That's right, you, the stockholder.
And you are all being royally screwed over by these bureaucrats,...
..with their steak lunches, their fishing trips, their corporate jets and golden parachutes.
This is an outrage! You're out of line, Gekko!
Teldar Paper, Mr Cromwell, has 33 different vice presidents,...
..each earning over $200,000 a year.
Now, l have spent the last two months analysing what all these guys do.
- And l still can't figure it out. - (laughter)
One thing l do know is that our paper company lost $110m last year.
And l'll bet half of that was spent in all the paperwork between all these vice presidents!
The new law of evolution in corporate America...
..seems to be... survival of the unfittest.
Well, in my book you either do it right, or you get eliminated.
ln the last seven deals that l have been involved with there were 2.5m stockholders...
..who have made a pre-tax profit of $12 billion.
(applause)
Thank you.
l am not a destroyer of companies.
l am a liberator of them!
The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word,...
..is good.
Greed is right. Greed works.
Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
Greed, in all of its forms - greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -
..has marked the upward surge of mankind.
And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper,...
..but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
Thank you very much.
** Fly me to the moon
** Let me play among the stars
Buy me 20 June eurodollar CDs,...
..20 March gold and sell 10 September Deutschmarks. Right. Talk at ya, babe.
Ah, Buddy, Buddy, l hate to tell you this, but you are a genius!
Darien! Lightning has struck.
The light bulb has been invented. Bluestar Airlines.
Edison, da Vinci, Einstein. They're all watching me.
Ever hear of the 60-hour work week?
You've gotta go to work soon. l'm getting psychotic from a lack of REM sleep.
l'm not gonna broker the rest of my life.
l am gonna be a giant, an entrepreneur in the ltalian 16th-century sense of the word.
A mover, a shaker. l'm shooting for the stars, Darien.
You're coming along for the ride.
Bluestar is an unpolished gem, Gordon.
A half-assed management being decimated by a price war they cannot win.
But the gates at La Guardia alone can bail us out.
lf it's worth a dime, it's worth 10 bucks a share. They're ripe to fall!
Mixed emotions, Buddy.
Like Larry Wildman going off a cliff... in my new Maserati!
Guys like me have had their asses hung in a sling with the airlines!
- Fuel could go up. Unions are killers. - Yeah, but aren't you forgetting one thing?
Capital reserves. This company has 75 million cash in an overfunded pension.
That buys us a lot of credibility.
And the beauty is, you already own close to 2% of this sucker.
The insurance people are balking on the logging trucks. What do you want to do?
Tell those assholes we'll self-insure if they don't write it.
l can't believe we can fire half the management and nothing changes!
(deep sigh)
Gordon, what l want, and l've never asked you for anything,...
..is to be your copilot on this one.
l wanna take this airline, turn it around and make it work. lt's gonna make us a fortune.
l got a stockbroker who wants an airline. lt'll take two years to turn Teldar Paper around.
What do l need a dink airline for? l'm up to my ass in more nuts than a fruitcake!
l've worked at Bluestar. l know my way around. l have friends there, inside.
What do you mean?
The three unions. lt's 43% of Bluestar's operating budget.
The hourly cost of a flight crew is 850 an hour. That's the real hidden value, GG.
lf you can negotiate that out, get a crew down to 350, 400 an hour,...
..this airline'll be the hottest thing since Texas Air.
- What makes you think you can? - l can talk to these people. They trust me.
My father can be a big help in getting cuts.
All right. Susan, get Buckingham on the phone. Tell him to look into it.
So the falcon's heard the falconer, huh?
- Hi, Dad. - Sorry l'm late.
That's OK. Overdressed as usual.
Come on in. Everybody's here. l couldn't start the show without you.
Well, l'll be a lousy Republican!
l decorate for Democrats, too. Lots of them. l'm Darien Taylor.
- Bud's told me all about you. - Don't believe a word.
l never beat him or locked him in a closet.
- l forgot about the closet. - He turned out OK.
Bud's a born liar, otherwise he's a good kid.
l hope you come here more often, under less formal circumstances.
Thank you.
- Dad, you know Duncan Wilmore. - Sure. How are ya?
Pilots' union. Toni Carpenter, flight attendants'.
l'd like you to meet Mr Gekko.
Mr Fox, pleasure to meet you.
His attorney, Mr Salt.
l'd be proud to have a son like Buddy. Got a hell of a career in front of him.
l'm glad you think so. l thought this was informal. What's your attorney doing here?
Harold, you don't mind walking around the block, do you?
- Of course. - l'll take that.
No offence.
None taken.
That's OK, Gordon. Bud does it all the time.
(Gekko) Look, l got no illusions about winning a popularity contest with any of you.
l got roasted the other night.
A friend asked "Why are we honouring this man? Did we run out of human beings?"
lt's not always the most popular guy who gets the job done.
You've got losses of $20-30 million, dividends cut to zero,...
..and you're being squeezed to death by the majors.
The management may not be the worst scum, but they put you on this kamikaze course,...
..and pretty soon everybody is gonna be scrambling for parachutes.
Only there's not enough to go around.
Management has them. You don't.
lf they throw Bluestar to Chapter 11, which l think they will,...
..they'll use the bankruptcy laws to break your unions, and throw you off the property.
Oh, come on! With all due respect, what's to prevent you from doing the same thing?
Cos l got a way around all this,...
..where we can all make money and make the airline profitable.
So what do you say we cut to the chase?
l'm asking for a modest 20% across-the-board wage cut, and seven more hours a month.
What kind of time frame?
A year. lf we're still losing money, the reduction stands.
lf we're in the black, l'll return part of the givebacks, pay goes back to current levels,...
..and we initiate an employee profit-sharing programme with stock.
- You'll own part of the airline. - Will you put it in writing?
l'll have a letter of agreement drafted up in two days.
What's your marketing strategy? How will you return us to profitability?
Why don't l give Buddy an opportunity to answer that? Buddy?
Thank you, Gordon.
First, l want you all to know that my door will always be open,...
..because l know from my dad it's you guys that keep Bluestar flying.
What l've come up with here is a basic three-point plan.
One: we modernise. Our computer software is dogshit. We update it.
We squeeze every dollar out of each mile flown.
Don't sell a seat to a guy for 79 bucks when he's willing to pay 379.
Effective inventory management will increase our load factor by 5-20%.
That translates to approximately $50-200 million in revenues.
The point being, we can beat the majors at a price war.
Two: advertising. More, and aggressive. We attack the majors.
Three: expansion. We expand our hubs to Atlanta, North Carolina and St Louis.
And we reorganise all of our feeder schedules.
We gotta think big, guys. We're going after the majors.
Well, cards on the table, guys. What do you say?
Well, if you mean what you say, l think we're probably in the ballpark.
- l guess l can take it to my people. - Good.
You've sketched broad strokes. l'd like to see the fine print.
But l like what l hear so far.
(Carl laughs)
l guess if a man lives long enough he gets to see everything, and l do mean everything.
What else you got in your bag of tricks, Mr Gekko?
Frankly, Carl, l can't see giving much more, but, if you have any suggestions, l'll listen.
"There came into Egypt a Pharaoh who did not know."
- l beg your pardon. ls that a proverb? - No, a prophecy.
The rich have been doing it to the poor since time began.
The only difference is the Egyptians didn't allow unions.
l know what this guy's all about - greed.
He don't care about Bluestar or the unions. He's in for the buck. He don't take prisoners.
Wait a minute, Dad.
Sure. What's worth doing is worth doing for money.
lt's a bad bargain if nobody gains. And if we do this deal, everybody gains.
Course, my son worked as a baggage handler and freight loader for three summers.
With those qualifications, he can run an airline!
Fine. Stay with the present management...
..dedicated to running you and your airline into the ground.
That "scum" built the company up with one plane and made something out of nothing.
lf that's a scum, l'll take it over a rat any day. You know where l stand. Good night, all.
Excuse me.
Congratulations, Dad! You did a greatjob embarrassing me, not to mention yourself!
Save the "workers unite" speech. l heard it too much growing up!
- Oh, yeah? - You'll get axed. No two ways about it.
You and the whole shitty airline are going down the tubes!
And if it isn't Gekko, it's gonna be some other killer!
He's using you, kid. He's got your prick in his pocket, but you're too blind to see it.
No. l see ajealous old machinist...
..who can't stand the fact that his son's more successful than he is!
What you see is a guy who never measured a man's success by the size of his wallet!
That's because you never had the guts to go out into the world and stake your own claim!
Boy, if that's the way you feel, l must've done a really lousy job as a father.
As far as being axed, l'm still around,...
..and l have a responsibility to the union membership l represent.
Your responsibility is to present the facts, not opinions, to your men.
You'll destroy their lives. Let them decide for themselves.
My men will want to know what's going on, and l won't lie to them!
Oh, yeah, your men! Your fuckin' men!
All my life your men have been able to count on you!
Why have you never been there for me?!
What if you're wrong?
What if one day the sun didn't rise in the east, and for once your compass was off?
Would you be willing to wreck your men's future? My future?
Dad, think for a change. Be practical. l'm asking you. l'm fuckin' begging you!
l don't go to sleep with no whore and l don't wake up with no whore.
That's how l live with myself. l don't know how you do it.
l hope l'm wrong about this guy... but l'll let the men decide for themselves.
That much l promise you.
You should look at this, Chief. A guy at Jackson Steinem...
..buying large chunks of Teldar Paper for an offshore account.
(knock at door)
So, what's the problema?
- Do you know what the fuck the problem is? - What?
- You don't know? - l don't know.
l get a strange call from the SEC. They asked to see my records.
- This is heavy, Bud. - Hey, hey, hey, relax! Relax, Roger.
You're 82M in the account numbers and l'm the invisible man.
Well, that's good for you, Bud.
They're always looking for red flags. Gekko's always getting checked by 'em.
They never come up with anything, Rog.
Hey... we're invulnerable on this one.
l just wanna slow down, Bud.
All right?
No more lunches, no calls, all right? We suspend our business, all right?
Whatever you want, Rog. lt's cool.
Excuse me. Hey, Rog, can you come back in? Bring the cost report.
We're starting again.
Gekko's asked us into the Bluestar deal. We're reviewing timetables.
- You wanna come? - He didn't tell me about that.
You're only the president of the company. What the hell do you know anyway, right?
Guys, new chief of Bluestar - Bud Fox.
- Hi. - Hello, Bud.
Guys, what's the problem? lt's time to kill.
Gekko's got 12% of the stock and climbing. Plus he's got the unions in his back pocket.
Everybody knows the stock's in play. By next week the street will own Bluestar.
ls the bank financing in place?
Or are we gonna sit around and have more of these ridiculous meetings?
Our firm committed weeks ago 25% of the total long-term debt structure.
Unless you guys sign this piece of paper right now,...
..l'm gonna pull and go to another bank for the 75.
Look, we've got 30 banks ready to participate in a four-year revolving credit line.
We must have your assurance you will pay back most of the loan in the first 12 months.
The only way we can see this happening is liquidating the hangars and the planes.
Can you people guarantee the liquidation of Bluestar?
Guarantee? No sweat!
We got the Bleezburgs lined up to build condos where the hangars are.
We lay the airplanes off to the Mexicans, who are dumb enough to buy 'em!
And l got the Texas boys drooling at my kneecaps for the routes and slots.
What's your problem? lt's done!
Here's the price tags on the 737s, gates, hangars, routes.
We got it nailed right down to the typewriters.
The beauty of this deal is the overfunded pension.
Gekko makes $75m there.
50 million buys him the minimum annuities for 6,000 employees,...
..and he walks away with the rest. l figure he'll make... He'll clear $60-70m.
Not bad for a month's work.
Your boy really did his homework, Fox.
And you'll have the shortest executive career since that Pope that got poisoned.
Now he'll really start believing he's Gekko the Great.
- He'd like to change that appointment. - Hold this.
Bud, you can't go in! He's in a meeting!
Alex has come up with an ingenious way for us to...
l didn't know we had a meeting today, sport.
l didn't, either. l think we should talk, Gordon.
- Would you excuse us for a second? - Won't you come this way, gentlemen?
Thank you, Alex.
What do you want?
l just found out about the garage sale at Bluestar.
Why?!
Last night l was reading Rudy Winnie-the-Pooh and the Honey Pot.
You know what happened? He stuck his nose in the pot once too often, and he got stuck.
Maybe you oughta read him Pinocchio.
l thought you were gonna turn Bluestar around, not upside down!
- You fuckin' used me! - You're walking around blind without a cane.
A fool and his money are lucky to even meet.
- Why do you need to wreck this company? - Because it's wreckable, all right?!
l took another look. l changed my mind.
lf they lose theirjobs, they got nowhere to go!
My father has worked there for 24 years! l gave him my word!
lt's all about bucks, kid.
The rest is conversation.
Buddy, you'll still be president.
When the time comes, you'll parachute out a rich man.
With the money you'll make, your dad's never got to work again.
So tell me, Gordon, when does it all end, huh?
How many yachts can you water-ski behind? How much is enough?
lt's not a question of enough, pal. lt's a zero-sum game.
Somebody wins, somebody loses.
Money itself isn't lost or made, it's simply transferred...
..from one perception to another, like magic.
This painting here. l bought it ten years ago for $60,000.
l could sell it today for six hundred. The illusion has become real.
And the more real it becomes, the more desperate they want it.
Capitalism at its finest.
How much is enough, Gordon?
The richest 1% of this country owns half our country's wealth. Five trillion dollars.
One third comes from hard work, two thirds from inheritance,...
..interest on interest accumulating to widows and idiot sons,...
..and what l do: stock and real-estate speculation.
lt's bullshit.
You got 90% of the American public with little or no net worth.
l create nothing.
l own.
We make the rules, pal.
The news, war, peace, famine, upheaval, the price of a paperclip.
We pick that rabbit out of the hat while everybody wonders how the hell we did it.
You're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy, are you, Buddy?
lt's the free market, and you're part of it.
Yeah. You got that killer instinct.
Stick around, pal. l still got a lot to teach you.
Obviously.
Oh, Buddy, come on. l was gonna tell you about it.
Calm down, all right? We'll have dinner tonight. Bring Darien.
No, l can't make it tonight.
Hey, Buddy.
Are you with me?
l need to know if you're with me.
l'm with you, Gordon.
- Natalie, l'll be right there. - Yes, Mr Gekko.
- Yeah? - Yeah, Ollie.
Tell them l want ziplocked mouths on the Bluestar deal,...
..or l'll come down there and rip out their fuckin' throats.
Bud?
What's going on?
l've been played like a grand piano by the master, Gekko the Great.
Today was the big crash,...
..the liquidation sale.
He's gonna carve Bluestar into little pieces and sell it all off.
Bastard!
l'm sorry.
l was afraid something like this could happen.
l handed it to him on a silver platter. l told my father...
Bud! Bud, it's not your fault.
And it's not your decision.
l'm not gonna let it happen.
Don't cross Gordon. He'll crush you.
lf Gordon doesn't buy Bluestar, someone else will. Who's to say they won't do the same?
At least l won't be pulling the trigger.
Why are you doing this? You've worked hard to get where you are.
We're so close. You don't wanna throw it all away.
Look, l can stay with the firm, and you're doing fine.
We can survive without Gordon Gekko.
l'm not looking to just survive.
l've been doing that all my life.
Cut this self-pity crap, Bud!
What the hell's that supposed to mean?
lt means if you make an enemy of Gordon Gekko, l can't be there to stand by you.
Oh, yeah? Do you really mean that?
What did he promise you? To take you public?
Without his money and seal of approval l'm not such a hot investment any more.
- You're just the best money can buy, Darien. - You're not exactly pure, Bud.
You went after Gekko and me with the same vengeance. Look in the mirror.
l'm looking, and l sure don't like what l see.
Fair enough. But it's not that simple, Bud.
When l was down and had nothing, it was Gordon who helped me.
He got me all my clients - you among them - and he can take them away from me like that.
You may find out that when you've had money and lost it,...
- ..it's worse than never having had it at all. - Oh, yeah?
That is bullshit!
Hey! Hey!
You step out that door and l am changing the locks!
You may not believe this, Bud, but l really do care for you.
We would've made a good team.
l'm sorry.
Get the fuck outta here!
The market is dead right now. Even the rich are bitching.
The only thing moving is the termites and cockroaches, and my commission...
Look, save the rap, all right? Just sell the fucker, fast!
There he is. Where you been the last two days?
- Janet, get my father on the phone and... - Your mom's been calling. Your father's...
- What happened? - He had a heart attack, but he's OK.
- He's at St John's. - Oh, Christ!
Mom? How is he?
He was complaining about chest pains at work.
The next thing l know he's collapsed. You gotta talk to him.
Don't worry, he's a tough old nut. He's got another 20 years.
- He's gonna be fine, Buddy. - ls he conscious?
Hiya, Dad.
You're looking younger every day.
Didn't l tell you never to lift a 747 by yourself?
You even got me smoking now.
lt's your second heart attack, Dad.
You're pushing your luck. l hope you know that.
l guess l never told you,...
..but l love you, Dad.
l love you so much!
l'm sorry... about the things l said.
You're the only honest man l know.
The best.
l got a plan, Dad. l can save the airline.
l know you got no reason to believe me, but you have to trust me, OK?
l need to speak to the union members.
Can l speak for you?
Your words, not mine.
OK.
l gotta go.
l'm proud of you.
The stock's at 19 1/4, and it's going up.
Gekko figures, by breaking up Bluestar, it's 30 bucks a share.
He'll buy up to 24 and still think he's making money.
How do you know it'll go up?
You don't wanna know, Duncan. Let's just say l have some friends.
OK. What happens now?
When it hits 23, you go to Gekko and lower the boom.
When he learns he has no union concessions, he'll jump ship.
Yeah, but who'll buy then, and what's to prevent some other shark devouring us?
We have an appointment to see Mr Wildman.
Sir Lawrence, or can l call you Larry?
What would you say to owning Bluestar Airlines, with union concessions,...
..at $18 a share,...
..and, in the process, hanging Gordon Gekko out in the wind to twist?
l might be very interested. Why you, mate?
What's a bloke like you doing mixed up with Gekko?
Let's just say that me and Mr Gekko have a serious conflict of interest.
But we all wanna see this airline work.
These figures show that it can.
You're prepared to take these large salary cuts?
We are, but we want a contract agreement that's ironclad.
So if you buy it, you can't break it up.
l'm still listening.
Hi.
Oh, hi. Say, why don't you get the hell out of my office?
l know l've been a schmuck lately. l want to apologise.
You've been a real schmuck lately. So go thou and sin no more.
l wanna make it up to you.
Bluestar. Put all your clients in it.
OK, Buddy-Buddy.
We are back in business on Bluestar.
Bluestar, Mr Mannheim. Put all your clients in it. lt's gonna move.
l don't know where you get your information, son, but l don't like it.
The main thing about money, Bud... it makes you do things you don't wanna do.
Marty, a favour. 200,000 shares Bluestar at 19 1/2. Can you position it in an equity fund?
- The Chronicle is on seven. - Hold, Marty.
Listen, Blue Horseshoe loves Bluestar Airlines. Got it?
- Got it. - Right. Marty, you still there?
Bluestar's in play. Let's check it out.
(traders shouting)
- 19 1/4, 3 1/2. 5,000. - 3 1/2 at 10,000.
l do love it so.
Gordon, l see it at 215 1/2. l don't know what to make of it.
The word is out, pal! Your union buddies are talking.
You get me in at a 45-degree angle. All the way in.
You slash and burn, you buy everything in sight up to 22, then call me.
When l get hold of whoever leaked this, l'll tear his eyes out and suck his fuckin' skull!
- Stock's going to Pluto. - Start unloading.
- What? Sell? - Dump it! Now! Dump it all!
- Where's Lou? - Right over there.
Ken? Marvin. Jackson Steinem.
Dump this baby. Take the money and run. We're getting out.
lt's gotta be a big hitter.
There's some people from Bluestar demanding to see you.
- What the hell do they want? - l'd be happy to tell you.
We know what you're up to, Gekko, and you can go straight to hell!
No way you're gonna break up our airline.
- lf that's my plan, it's the first l've heard of it. - Would you put that in writing?
We have an agreement, which l expect you to honour.
- Then you better have a pilot's licence. - Don't worry, the engines won't fall out.
But those reservations can get screwed up if we don't pay attention.
Baggage for St Petersburg could wind up in Pittsburgh.
Look, somebody else wants to buy your airline.
You wanna be gobbled up by Attila the Hun, you be my guest!
We'll take our chances.
Nice to see you, Gekko!
Fox says Bluestarjust hit 23. What do you want him to do?
Sell it all.
- What the hell. So we only make 10 million. - Sell it. Yes, all of it.
10,000 at 7 1/2!
At 7 1/2, sold!
Frank, Frank, Frank, Frank, for chrissake!
Goddamn connection!
Bob, we're in big trouble on BST. You gotta get out now.
Another 30,000. Out!
Gekko's selling. There's not many takers. The stock is plummeting.
l guess l'll have to carry him a few rounds before he drops.
Don't make a big deal of it. Buy it lightly on the way down. When it hits 18, buy it all.
Piece of cake, Larry.
(traders shouting)
8,000 at 18.
What is offered at 18?
300,000... 300,000 at 18!
18 for 500,000!
(traders) Sold!
- l'll sell you 50! - l'll take it!
- There's gotta be a way outta this. - Sure. Why don't you dial 911?
Fox is on four.
Where the hell are you? l am losing millions. You sure as hell better get me out of this,...
..or the only job you'll have on this street is sweeping it!
You once told me, don't get emotional about stock, Gordon. Don't.
The bid is 16 1/2 and going down. As your broker, l advise you to take it.
Yeah? Well, you take it! Right in the ass, you fuckin' scumbag cocksucker!
lt's two minutes to close, Gordon. What do you wanna do? Decide.
Dump it.
The big Wall Street story today was Bluestar Airlines.
Fuelled by takeover rumours, the stock soared to an all-time high of 24 1/8.
When rumours later surfaced that the takeover was unfounded,...
..buyers ran for cover and the stock plummeted to 16 1/2 before closing at 17.
Then, amidst all the scuttlebutt, another rumble shook the street.
Raider Sir Lawrence Wildman has stepped in and bought a substantial block of Bluestar,...
..and will announce a deal tomorrow that includes the support of the unions.
We talked with a leading stock market analyst,...
..in order to understand the ramifications...
Son of a bitch!
Smile, Carolyn. There's justice in the world.
Good morning, folks.
Did somebody die?
Yeah.
Morning, Chuckie. Morning, Lou.
Bud...
Bud, l like you.
Just remember something.
Man looks in the abyss.
There's nothing staring back at him.
At that moment, man finds his character.
And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.
l think l understand.
Janet, get my father, will you?
He just came in. l'll call you back.
l guess you're not here to open an lRA.
Henry Patterson, Postal lnspection Service. Mr Ebenhopper, US Attorney's office.
Evan Morrissey, Securities and Exchange Enforcement office.
You're under arrest for conspiracy to commit securities fraud,...
..and for violating the lnsider Traders Sanction Act.
The minute l laid eyes on you, l knew you were no good.
You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions.
Anything you do say may be used against you.
You have the right to consult an attorney...
..and to have an attorney present during any questioning.
So long, Carolyn.
Hiya, Buddy.
Gordon.
Sandbagged me on Bluestar, huh?
l guess you think you taught the teacher a lesson, that the tail can wag the dog, huh?
Well, let me clue you in, pal.
The ice is melting right underneath your feet.
You think you could have gotten this far this fast with anybody else?
And dickin' someone like Darien?
No. You'd be cold-calling widows and dentists to buy fuckin' dogshit stock!
l took you in!
A nobody!
l opened doors for you.
l showed you how the system works, the value of information, how to get it!
Fulham Oil, Brant Resources, Geodynamics!
And this is how you fuckin' pay me back, you cockroach!
l gave you Darien!
l gave you your manhood! l gave you everything!
You coulda been one of the great ones, Buddy.
l look at you... and l see myself.
Why?
l don't know.
l guess l realised that...
..l'm just Bud Fox.
As much as l wanted to be Gordon Gekko...
..l'll always be Bud Fox.
(tape) l showed you how the system works, the value of information, how to get it!
Fulham Oil, Brant Resources...
You did the right thing, Bud.
(Carl) You told the truth and gave the money back.
All things considered in this cockamamie world, you're shooting par.
You helped save the airline, and they'll remember you for it.
That's right. Think about the job at Bluestar that Wildman offered you.
Dad, l'm going to jail and you know it.
Yeah, well... maybe that's the price, son.
lt's gonna be hard on you,...
..but maybe in a kind of screwed-up way it's the best thing that coulda happened to you.
Stop going for the easy buck and produce something with your life.
Create, instead of living off the buying and selling of others.
We'll park the car and catch up with you.
All right.