Icahn: The Restless Billionaire

Ichan The Restless Billionaire hits pretty close the "the documentary sweetspot". The is a certain amount of bias - but way less than in similar documentaries. Neither is there much attempt to mystify Ichan's persona or ascribing him any qualities of genius merely based on the wealth acquired. That's good...

Icahn's philosophy is pretty straightforward: Find companies that are under-delivering profits, often due to a high cost structure. Make them profitable and reap the rewards that come from increasing the value of the company.

The philanthropic rationale from Icahn's point of view is clear; if you're not profitable you're doomed. By streamlining businesses - jobs are being saved.

Axing the jobs of, overpaid, underperforming, top and mid-management is likely to meet little resistance. Cutting wage checks for workers is a very different matter.

As with many political issues - there are no clear cut answers; is Icahn part of an elite financial posse squeezing the last drop from their work force for huge personal financial gain - or is he a white knight trying to save businesses and jobs before "it's too late"? The answer to Icahn is plain to see - the viewers viewpoint is yet to know.

There is a bias towards the "Icahn way" of viewing the world - but there is also a frankness and opening for critical views.

If nothing else - Icahn The Restless Billionaire offers a fair amount of insight into the world of "corporate raiding" - albeit, mainly, the positive aspects.

As "Icahn: The Restless Billionaire" (2022 release; 101 min.) opens, various talking heads offer snapshot comments. "The great white shark is the sea of capitalism", is how one of them sums up Carl Icahn. We then go to "NYC", and we catch up with today's Carl Icahn, now well into his 80s but as active as ever. And ready to share some stories... At this point we are 10 min into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from longtime producer-director Bruce David Klein ("Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened"). Here Klein looks back at the life and times of Carl Icahn, a self-made billionaire who wrecked havoc on Wall Street and corporate America, identifying undervalued companies and forcing change on them, typically resulting in a noticeable uptick in the company's value. Corporate raider? Shareholder activist? Icahn recounts some of the bigger, or most interesting, turnarounds he was involved in: Teppan, Texaco, TWA, and in later years tech companies like Herbalife, Netflix and, yes, even Apple. As it turns out, you may or may not agree with what he has done or how he's gone about it, but Icahn is a master story teller and we are in for treat. I happen to think that Icahn is misunderstood by many. In the end, his track record speaks for itself. Along the way a bunch of talking heads, typically from the business section of a newspaper or magazine, pitch in and offer their perspective. Frankly, the movie flew by in no time (for me).

"Icahn: The Restless Billionaire" premiered on HBO a few days ago and is now available on HBO On Demand and on HBO Max (where I caught it). If you've heard the name of Carl Icahn but aren't entirely sure what the guy stands for, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

I get his premise - companies whose stock isn't selling at peak (or nearly so) are underperforming for the shareholders. However, not for more than a few sentences did the show explore what happens when this philosophy is taken to the extreme. This means having to sell assets not contributing to the bottom line, or closing 'underperforming' assets, laying off hundreds, and thousands. This is the legacy of this philosophy. This is why we've got terms such as 'rust-belt', fly-over country, and so on.

This is why so many people are pushing for 'Stakeholder' Capitalism - take into account everyone effected by a job. Doesn't demand 100% efficiency, is more humane and spreads the rewards of a company more evenly.

This showing makes him seem altruistic. It's like praising the 1% for the illnesses effecting our country, instead of recoiling in horror.

For someone who dabs in stock investing, this documovie is quite interesting. It provides the family background that explains how he views the world, and the info is useful to the viewer. Does the show definitively answer the question whether he's a heartless corporate raider or an activist investor? I think so. I believe that's he personifies the best of capitalism. His pet peeve is unrealistic financial reward for corporate executives who don't really care about their shareholders. This strikes a sympathetic chord. He appears to me as the quintessential economic man who weighs and takes the risks and is rewarded accordingly.

He admits that he has made terrible mistakes. Yet this doesn't deter him. He remains relentless. He likes to win not as much as the prize as the thrill of winning: of making all the right moves, of being the best. He says he's like Alexander of Macedonia in his relentless pursuit of lands to conquer. Can you fault the man for this?

The show is well-directed. The script is taut. The length of the movie is just right. Here's an example of a documovie that doesn't have to be a long-winding series.

I had almost forgot about Carl Icahn . He is very understated. However I always look at these wealthy moguls and then I look at their families. Bezos, musk, and the like. The first thing I look at is their kids. It's amazing that these guys are relentless businessmen but they are still great fathers. I really admire these financial "icons" and they are great fathers. This documentary brought that out .