If you are a fan of Showtime, there is a good chance that you are also a fan of Billions, which is one of their most popular programs. Since its launch in January 2016, when the drama first aired, the show has been able to captivate audiences with its intricate and powerful plots. Let’s find out Who Is Billions Based On?
Having said that, there are some people who are unsure as to whether or not the show Billions is based on a real story. Is it true that there’s a person named Bobby Axelrod? And how much of the story is based on actual occurrences in the world?
Who Is Billions Based On?
Even if not everything in the show Billions is based on real events or transpired in the real world, the show is influenced by those occurrences.
For instance, the antagonist and United States Attorney Chuck Rhoades, who is portrayed in the show by Paul Giamatti, is rumored to be based, at least in part, on Preet Bharara, who served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 2009 until 2017 and was subjected to investigations during that time.
The main character of the show, hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod, who is played by actor Damian Lewis, is not based on a real person; however, he is loosely inspired by Steven A. Cohen, a real-life billionaire, and hedge fund manager at S.A.C. Capital Advisors was prosecuted by the Southern District of New York (he ended up pleading guilty to insider trading in 2013).
It has been suggested that its narrative of Steven served as the impetus for the first season of the show Billions, which aired from January to April of 2016.
Due to the fact that Bobby and billionaire Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management, which is a hedge fund management company, share the same initials, many people on Wall Street believe that Bobby is modeled on Bill, but Damian has stated that this is not the case.
“They say, ‘Ackman, Axelrod. They share the same initials as one. However, Bobby Axelrod is not modeled on any particular real-life individual, “Once, he mentioned it to Page Six.
The second season of the Showtime series Billions premiered between February and May of 2017, and it is speculated that the series was inspired by the Salomon Brothers treasury bond controversy that occurred in the 1990s.
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What Exactly Happens In The Show ‘Billions’?
The official website for the show claims that Billions is a “drama with a sophisticated plot revolving on power struggles in the realm of New York City’s high finance. Chuck Rhoades, a cunning and astute United States Attorney, and Bobby “Axe” Axelrod, a clever and ambitious hedge fund king, are headed in the direction of a catastrophic collision.
Each man is using all of his enormous intelligence, power, and influence to outmaneuver the other. In this topical and thought-provoking series, the amount of money at risk is in the billions.”
Is Bobby Axelrod Of Billions Based On A Real Person?
One of the most unique characters in television is Bobby Axelrod, who appears in the Showtime series Billions and is portrayed by Damian Lewis at his naughtiest moments.
He is a fantastic manager of a hedge fund, and he can wield references to popular culture with the same degree of effectiveness that he can play the financial market. Although he is known to exploit illicit insider knowledge to improve Axe Capital’s profitability, his talent is practically unmatched among those who wield significant influence in the financial world.
Source: townandcountrymag
The plot of “Billions” is based on the real-life mechanisms that play a significant role in the city of New York. There are people like Bobby Axelrod who run hedge funds and lord over airy offices; there are those like Chuck Rhoades who work as district attorneys and go after people who commit financial crimes (Paul Giamatti).
Even though there is no one who exactly parallels Bobby Axelrod in the real world, there are a few prominent figures that occupy positions that are frighteningly similar to his. These parallels range from incomprehensibly opulent lifestyles to unconventional trading tactics.
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