Gordon Gekko

“The movie was fiction…the problem is real.” Read more »

How serious? Fictional characters-as-deterrents serious, if that tells you anything. Read more »

Iggy Ioppe. Colin Butler. Greg Hold. Three “finance powerhouses” who “play hard” for “the thrill of the game itself.” Somehow they managed to find time in their schedules to help promote Money Never Sleeps. This involves telling us their favorite Wall Street quotes, of course, but also their relationship statuses (all singles, ladies!), and market musings. (For instance, Greg, founder of Hold Brothers, appreciates that “The markets are fair. They don’t care who your daddy is.” Colin, VP of institutional trading at Caris & Co has learned that “You’ve got to come to work each morning ready to bite the ass off a bear.” Iggy, a prop trader at Credit Suisse loves the confluence of “society, economy, politics.”) There’s also this: Read more »

The noted investor has finally– finally!– weighed in on the Goldman charges. Read more »

ackman3.jpgWe aren’t totally sure that “soft sell” is how we would put it, but maybe softer sell. And this is definitely just because we can’t help but root for Ackman (90% losses are nothing compared to boyish charm, you know) and Target is such a tantalizing… er… target. Plus, anyone who doubles down with such ease cannot help but attract our (sideways, nervous) glance. So, if the Post wants to give us WA the soft-seller underdog, we’re game.

Portraying himself as “the underdog” in the fight, Ackman referred to Target’s board as a stagnating “friend of Bob,” with change-resistant members handpicked long ago by retired chairman Bob Ulrich.
As he introduced his own slate to Target investors at a Midtown auditorium yesterday, Ackman took pains to insist that his own nominees — with backgrounds in groceries, credit cards and corporate governance, in addition to real estate — weren’t merely stooges assembled to further his own agenda.
“I just want independent, fresh perspective on the board,” Ackman said.

(Michael Douglas actually thought Gekko was evil, and Carl may be the elder statesman of activists, but you are the young upstart for us every time! Call us WA! We still love you!)
Ackman’s Soft Sell [The New York Post]

Picture 1239.pngAs briefly mentioned yesterday, Oliver Stone has signed on to direct the Wall Street sequel, after previously bailing on the project (whose original title, Money Never Sleeps, has blissfully been shelved). That’s where the good news ends and the Shia LaBeouf begins. He’s currently in negotiations to “play a young Wall Street trader under Gekko’s spell– a somewhat updated version of the character Charlie Sheen played in the original film.” While we can see LaBeouf playing a 2009 version of the sniveling Seth Davis,* this just won’t do. Hopefully the talks will fall through and when that happens, we need to be prepared to offer a more suitable alternative. Who shall that be? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Once you’ve answered that, determine a working list of Wall Street “personalities” we’d like to make appearances as themselves. Jimmy Cayne– given. But what about Meredith Whitney? Jamie Dimon? Jim Chanos? Mark Haines? Let’s inject some authenticity up in this piece. Lastly, since it sounds like the script isn’t exactly finalized, what do we think of a storyline involving a burning passion between Erin Callan and David Einhorny, ignited over a balance sheet brawl?
*In a Boiler Room sequel no one’s announced plans to make.