🎓 Our Top 5 Documentaries on Finance and Investing

Jan 19, 2025

Documentaries can offer great insights into finance and investing, giving us a deeper look at the people, strategies, and events that shape the market. They break down complex topics, making them easier to understand and helping us learn valuable lessons. From corporate scandals to financial crises, these films provide a unique perspective on the industry.

Here are our Top 5 favorite documentaries on finance and investing! 🏦📈 Which must-see documentaries are we missing? What are your favorites? 🗣️📽️

1. Inside Job (2010)

Inside Job is a documentary that looks at the causes and effects of the 2008 financial crisis. It shows how greed, corruption, and bad decisions in the financial industry, along with weak rules and poor oversight, caused a global economic collapse. Through interviews with experts and insiders, the film explains how this hurt millions of people, leading to lost jobs, home foreclosures, and financial struggles. It also criticizes the lack of accountability and changes after the crisis, raising concerns about whether the system can prevent another disaster.

2. Dirty Money (2018-2020)

Dirty Money is a Netflix documentary series that explores corruption, greed, and unethical behavior in various industries and organizations. Each episode focuses on a different scandal, uncovering cases of fraud, money laundering, environmental destruction, and financial crimes. Through investigative journalism and interviews with insiders, experts, and those affected, the series reveals the shocking extent of these actions and their devastating impact on individuals, communities, and economies. It also examines the systems and failures that allow such misconduct to continue, raising questions about accountability and justice in global business and finance.

3. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is a documentary about the rise and fall of Enron, one of the biggest corporate scandals in U.S. history. It shows how the company’s leaders lied, cheated, and broke laws to make money, leading to its collapse. The film looks at the damage caused to workers, investors, and the economy, while also questioning how such fraud was allowed to happen.

4. Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (2023)

Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street is a documentary that explores the rise and fall of Bernie Madoff, who ran the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. It shows how Madoff deceived investors for decades, promising high returns while secretly stealing billions of dollars. Through interviews with victims, experts, and those involved, the film reveals how Madoff’s fraud affected thousands of lives and shook the financial world. It also examines the failure of regulators and others who allowed the scheme to go on for so long.

5. Betting on Zero (2016)

Betting on Zero is a documentary that investigates the controversial story of Herbalife, a global nutrition company accused of being a pyramid scheme. The film follows hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who bet against the company, claiming it was a fraud. Through interviews with investors, experts, and former employees, it explores the debate over whether Herbalife is a legitimate business or an exploitative scam. It also looks at the impact on its members, who invested their money, and the battle between Ackman and the company’s defenders.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆

1. Inside Job
2. Dirty Money
3. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
4. Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street
5. Betting on Zero

These documentaries offer unique insights into the dark side of business and finance, making them a must-watch for anyone interested in the industry. What are your favorite finance or investing documentaries? 🏦📈

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