The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)

Trader's Film Library #21 · Markets and trading in fiction. The story of the fall of a “master of the universe”.

Original title: The Bonfire of the Vanities · Type: film · Created by: Brian De Palma · Usefulness for traders: ★★☆☆☆

What it's about

Sherman McCoy (Tom Hanks), a star bond trader in New York, loses everything after an accident in the Bronx. Based on the novel by Tom Wolfe, which popularised the term “masters of the universe” for Wall Street people.

What it has to do with markets

A film about the fall of a man convinced he's untouchable. Trading is the backdrop here, but McCoy's character captures 1980s trading culture well.

Lessons for traders

• success in the market doesn't carry over to other areas of life (the halo effect, Atlas of biases #29)
• feeling untouchable is a risk
• one event can change everything: you need a plan B in life too

What to watch out for

The novel is much better than the film, which was a box-office flop.

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.