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What The Movie Wall Street Can Teach Us About Greed

By Jason Price 9 Comments - The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited March 26, 2013.

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One of my all-time favorite movies is Wall Street.  It is directed by Oliver Stone and stars Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas. If you’ve never seen the movie, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), has a short synopsis of the movie.

Bud Fox is a Wall Street stockbroker in early 1980’s New York with a strong desire to get to the top. Working for his firm during the day, he spends his spare time working an on angle with to approach the high-powered, extremely successful (but ruthless and greedy) broker Gordon Gekko. Fox finally meets with Gekko, who takes the youth under his wing and explains his philosophy that “Greed is Good”.

I’ve seen the movie countless times. I enjoy the excellent acting, the scenery from New York City and all the interesting dialogue that takes place between the actors.

But I think what is most interesting about the movie is what we can learn about the pursuit of greed and money. The main characters, all with different motivations, look at money from unique perspectives. Bud wants more of it and believes it is the answer to his happiness. Gordon Gekko’s religion is money and the pursuit of more of it is his life purpose. Lou believes the pursuit of it will control your life and lead you down a road you don’t want to go. Carl doesn’t need it nor measure it.
Wall Street Greed

Quick Navigation

  • Bud Fox (Young Stockbroker)
  • Gordon Gekko (High Powered Broker)
  • Lou Mannheim (Head Of Bud’s Firm)
  • Carl Fox (Bud’s Father)
  • Final Thoughts

Bud Fox (Young Stockbroker)

Bud is in a struggle to find himself. He believes the answer is to get to the top and become rich. However, he learns his desire takes him across legal and moral boundaries. We learn that as a young broker, he is already trying to live a life style that is above his means. He sees the lack of money as failure and defines success by the amount of money one is able to accumulate.

Memorable quotes from Bud:

  • I’m tapped out Marv. American Express’ got a hit man lookin’ for me.
  • There’s no nobility in poverty.
  • Who am I?

Gordon Gekko (High Powered Broker)

In Bud’s pursuit of excess, he desires to be like Gordon Gekko who he believes to hold the answer to success (money). Gekko cares about money and his competitive nature to win more of it leaves casualties in his path. Gekko is a believer of greed and conveys it as his answer to liberate stockholders from their overpaid and unwise  spending of corporate executive leadership.

Memorable quotes from Gekko

  • The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works.
  • What’s worth doing is worth doing for money.
  • I’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.

Lou Mannheim (Head Of Bud’s Firm)

In Bud’s pursuit he pays little attention to the wise words of Lou who knows that money doesn’t define oneself and is an empty pursuit in the end. Bud is captured by Gekko and money and Lou wisely tries to help him see his emotional attachment and to look inside to find himself. There is no get rick quick method or short cuts in Lou’s mind.

Memorable quotes from Lou

  • Bud… Bud I 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.
  • The main thing about money, Bud, is that it makes you do things you don’t want to do.
  • Good things, sometimes, take time.

Carl Fox (Bud’s Father)

Bud’s father is the simple man who doesn’t value money or wealth. He is content and believes in working hard to earn a living. But Bud quickly finds he is at odds with this father. Carl tries to point out Bud’s naivety and that success can’t be measured by the amount of money in which one has.

Memorable quotes from Carl

  • Money’s only something you need in case you don’t die tomorrow…
  • What you see is a guy who never measured a man’s success by the size of his WALLET!
  • Stop going for the easy buck and start producing something with your life. Create, instead of living off the buying and selling of others.

Final Thoughts

Bud, through all of his emotional connection with money finds himself in the end alone and empty in the abyss Lou hints of.  But not finding anyone there to help, Gekko or his riches, he finally realizes who he is and what he must do to regain his life.

As in Wall Street, but also in scripture, we know that greed, or the love of money, is not good which is contrary to what Gekko says.

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap an into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:9 (NIV)

Greed can tempt people to put money before all things, including God.  As Lou states, the main thing about money (I think he means the love of money) is that it makes us do things we don’t want to do.

Photo by IMDB.

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Last Edited: 26th March 2013 The content of biblemoneymatters.com is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Visitors to biblemoneymatters.com should not act upon the content or information without first seeking appropriate professional advice. In accordance with the latest FTC guidelines, we declare that we have a financial relationship with every company mentioned on this site.

This article is about: Commentary, Money

About Jason Price

Lead tech projects by day - write about money at night. I'm on the journey to financial freedom so I can give more of the resources entrusted to my care. Read more at jasonrprice.com or connect with me on Twitter.

Comments

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  1. Craig says

    Greed will always tempt people and in some cases make for bad business scams (Madoff). Even though it’s an 80’s movie, a lot of it is still relevant today.

    Reply
  2. Jason @ Redeeming Riches says

    The scary thing about Greed is that it is blinding. Many people don’t think they’re greedy.

    Most of us aren’t as outspoken as Gecko, but if we were to really see the depth of our hearts we’d probably find out there is a little Gordon Gecko in all of us!

    We (I) need reminders like this post all the time that we need to be vigilant to fight against the temptations like greed to keep God ultimate in our lives. Thanks for the post!
    Jason @ Redeeming Riches´s last post ..Why You Need a Larger View of Your Money (And So Do I)!

    Reply
    • Jason @ One Money Design says

      Jason, excellent point. I suppose there is a lot of emotion at play with greed and deep down, as imperfect people, we all wrestle with it at different degrees.
      Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..How Should We Begin Giving to the Poor?

      Reply
  3. Matt Jabs says

    Great lesson Jason. Solomon, the richest and wisest man of all time said to …fear God and obey his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. Ecclesiastes 12:13

    Another great verse that comes to mind:

    “Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” – Proverbs 30:8-9
    Matt Jabs´s last post ..How much Interest am I Paying? Hint… it’s Less.

    Reply
  4. Financial Samurai says

    Great is coming back in full force as the economy rebounds.

    We have short memories, and the public is no longer wielding their pitchforks at those who make more than them.

    FS
    Financial Samurai´s last post ..Financial Samurai $1,000 Giveaway & Your Chance To Make Millions Over Your Career!

    Reply
  5. Phil says

    Great post, Jason. Great quotes and excellent reminders. I love this movie. I heard they are coming out with a sequel based on the current crisis. I love Gekko’s big speech.
    Phil´s last post ..A Money Experiment: A Week Without Spending

    Reply
    • Jason @ One Money Design says

      Thanks, Phil. I heard about the sequel too and can’t wait!
      Jason @ One Money Design´s last post ..Make Extra Money While Helping Your Community

      Reply
  6. Brad Harmon says

    Jason,

    There are so many great lessons in movies. One of my favorite things to do is to have movie Bible studies where you watch a movie and then look at the messages, characters, themes from a Biblical perspective. it is almost always eye opening.

    This movie does a great job paralleling the warning in the often misquoted verse of 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” This is exactly what happened to Bud.

    Great post.

    Brad
    Brad Harmon´s last post ..Home Based Business Nightmares

    Reply
  7. Ron says

    Greed isn’t just the excessive obsession with money, it can also be about power. I think power was what Gekko was after. Money can’t do anything for you, it’s just paper, or electronic pulses, or a very heavy metal, it’s the power that it gives you that causes people to seek it.

    And isn’t power what Adam and Eve were looking for?

    Reply
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