Who Is Gordon Gekko?
Let me introduce you to Gordon Gekko—he's a fictional character who serves as the main villain in Oliver Stone's 1987 film 'Wall Street' and its 2010 sequel 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.' As a ruthless, extremely wealthy investor and corporate raider, Gekko has come to represent greed in popular culture, especially through his iconic line from the movie: 'Greed is good.'
Key Takeaways on Gordon Gekko
You should know that Gordon Gekko stands as the fictional villain in Oliver Stone's 'Wall Street,' evolving into a cultural icon for greed. He's famous for the quote 'Greed is good,' and the character draws from real Wall Street personalities like corporate raider Carl Icahn, the disgraced trader Ivan Boesky, and investor Michael Ovitz. Even though Gekko is unmistakably a villain in the film, I've seen how many young financiers treat him as a legendary antihero and try to mimic his style in the real world of finance.
Understanding Gordon Gekko
In 'Wall Street,' the story follows a young stockbroker named Bud Fox who's eager to team up with the legendary financier Gordon Gekko. Gekko, who's predatory and without morals, only takes notice when Fox bends his ethics to supply inside info on his father's company. This makes Fox rich, but he soon regrets it and turns evidence against Gekko, who ends up in prison for securities fraud and insider trading. Michael Douglas earned an Academy Award for his role as Gekko in the first film—it's a performance that really captures the character's essence.
Influences for the Character of Gordon Gekko
Gordon Gekko isn't based on just one person; he's a mix of various real-life Wall Street figures. Stanley Weiser, who co-wrote the script with Oliver Stone, says Gekko draws partly from corporate raider Carl Icahn, the fallen stock trader Ivan Boesky, and investor Michael Ovitz. That famous 'Greed is good' line echoes a 1985 speech by Boesky at UC Berkeley's business school, where he claimed greed is healthy and you can feel good about it. Gekko's lavish office and sharp suits were inspired by art collector Asher Edelman, and some of his no-nonsense dialogue comes straight from Oliver Stone's own work habits and calls. Producer Ed Pressman points to Michael Milken, the 'Junk Bond King' of the 1980s who got convicted of fraud and racketeering in 1989, as another key influence. Stone himself drew from his father, a broker who wished for better business movies, to shape the overall film.
Emulation of Gordon Gekko
Here's something interesting: even though Gekko is clearly the bad guy in 'Wall Street,' a lot of up-and-coming financiers view him as a mythical antihero. They see him as a guide for thriving in the brutal world of investment banking. To push back against this, Michael Douglas collaborated with the FBI in 2012 on a documentary about insider trading. As the actor who brought Gekko to life, Douglas wanted to make sure people recognize the character as a criminal, not someone to idolize.
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