Which character from the film Wall Street became a symbol of 1980s corporate greed and excess?
Jordan Belfort
Pete Mitchell
Gordon Gekko
Joel Goodsen
Fact: Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas, became one of cinema’s most iconic representations of 1980s corporate excess. His ruthless, profit-obsessed philosophy—captured in the famous line “Greed… for lack of a better word, is good”— embodied the decade’s culture of high-risk finance, hostile takeovers, and unrestrained ambition. While other characters in Wall Street grapple with moral conflict or economic hardship, Gekko stands out as the film’s unapologetic champion of greed, making him a cultural shorthand for the era’s cutthroat capitalism.
Correct Answer: Gordon Gekko