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The higher you rise, the harder you fall.
Netflix
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 deceptions and schemes that get you to the top and the consequences of building a company on a web of lies. See this series like a German wolf of wall street – it includes power hungry characters, fraud, brilliant businessmen and the wild, risky party lifestyle that comes with a huge amount of money.
What is Netflix? King of Stonks about?
The TV Miniseries revolves around CableCash — the most successful fintech company of all time. Vice President Felix Armand, the mastermind behind the operation, believes he will take over as the company’s CEO, replacing the boastful Dr. Magnus Cramer. The series navigates the complex relationship between the two: one who has the wit and ambition to start a reputable company, and the other whose success is based on greed, fraud and showmanship. It also shows how integrity can be compromised when there’s a lot of money at stake, and that lying indeed catches up with you.
Related: Financial fraud on the rise, Madoff post
Image Credit: Netflix
Who’s in the cast of? King of Stonksâ€
The series of stars mainly German actors so many of the names may be unfamiliar to people 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 shortseller with the company. Brandt’s career began in 1989 with the TV movie A beautiful example, and since then he has appeared in more than 50 other TV series. Schubert, who is only 28, has taken on the biggest role of his career with King of Stonksâ€
Is King of Stonks based on a true story?
The series is loosely based on the Wirecard Incident that took place in Germany in 2020. According to a 2020 Forbes Explaining the incident, Wirecard AG was a payment processor and financial services company headed by CEO Markus Braun. Braun and two other senior executives were charged with: market manipulation, embezzlement and fraud†Wirecard was accused of defrauding creditors out of billions of euros, leading to its insolvency.
Related: Three early lessons from the Wirecard scandal
Image Credit: Netflix
When did King of Stonks come out on Netflix?
Netflix released King of Stonks on July 6, 2022. The series premiered on June 25, 2022 at the Munich Film Festival.
How many episodes are there and how long do they last?
The miniseries consists of six episodes of between 45 and 49 minutes each.