Work Hard, Party Harder: Netflix's 'King of Stonks' Is About More Than Climbing the Ranks in the Finance World Masterminds, money and success go hand and hand with greed, partying and schemes in Netflix's 'King of Stonks.' Read more about the German Wolf of Wall Street, here.
By Julia Wilkinson Edited by Jessica Thomas
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The higher you rise, the harder you fall.
The characters in the Netflix series King of Stonks certainly live up to this adage. Centered around German startup culture, the show is about the cheating and schemes that get you to the top and the consequences of building a company on a web of lies. Think of this series like a German Wolf of Wall Street — it includes power-hungry characters, fraud, brilliant business people and the wild, risque party lifestyle that comes with a tremendous amount of money.
What is Netflix's King of Stonks about?
The TV mini-series revolves around CableCash — the most successful fintech company of all time. Vice president Felix Armand, the brains behind the operation, believes he is set to take over as CEO of the company, replacing boastful Dr. Magnus Cramer. The series navigates the complex relationship between the two: one who has the brains and ambition to create a reputable company, and the other whose success is based on greed, fraud and showmanship. It also showcases how integrity can be compromised when big money is involved, and that lying does indeed catch up to you.
Related: Financial Fraud Is Growing, Post Madoff
Who is in the cast of King of Stonks?
The series stars mostly German actors, so many of the names might be unfamiliar to those in the United States. Matthias Brandt plays Dr. Magnus Cramer, CEO of CableCash; Thomas Schubert plays Felix Armand; and Larissa Sirah Herden plays Sheila Williams, a short seller at the company. Brandt's career began in 1989 with the TV movie Ein Prachtexemplar, and he's since appeared in more than 50 other TV series. Schubert, who's only 28, has taken on the biggest role of his career with King of Stonks.
Is King of Stonks based on a true story?
The series is loosely based on the Wirecard incident that occurred in Germany in 2020. According to a 2020 Forbes explainer on the incident, Wirecard AG was a payment processor and financial services provider led by CEO Markus Braun. Braun and two other high-ranking executives were accused of market manipulation, embezzlement and fraud. Wirecard was accused of defrauding creditors out of billions of euros, which led to its insolvency.
Related: Three Early Lessons From The Wirecard Scandal
When did King of Stonks come out on Netflix?
Netflix released King of Stonks on July 6, 2022. The series first premiered on June 25, 2022, at the Munich Film Festival.
How many episodes are there, and how long are they?
The mini-series consists of six episodes that are between 45 and 49 minutes each.
