Original artwork, not a still
The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Stone meant Gekko as a warning, and the room applauds him anyway. The line is nearly always shortened to a flat 'greed is good', which drops the hedge of 'for lack of a better word' that makes the speech so slick. It is still quoted without irony on trading floors and with plenty of it in boardroom satire.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Wall StreetShow the scene
In Wall Street (1987), Oliver Stone's film about a young broker drawn in by a ruthless corporate raider, Gordon Gekko addresses the shareholders' meeting of Teldar Paper. He holds a large block of its stock and means to take the company apart. He tells the room that he is not a destroyer of companies but a liberator of them, then argues that greed will not only save Teldar Paper but the broken corporation called the USA. Stone has said the speech was taken from a talk by the real financier Ivan Boesky.
Sources (1)
- Wikiquote: Wall Street (film)Gekko's Teldar Paper speech; Oliver Stone commentaryReference checked
Context reviewed
