Ivan Boesky, inspiration for ‘Wall Street’ villain Gordon Gekko, dead at 87

Ivan Boesky, a notable figure in the trading sector known for insider trading activities during the 1980s, has passed away at the age of 87. Boesky was a leading arbitrageur and became a symbol of corporate greed in an era of excess. His wrongdoings became the inspiration for the character Gordon Gekko, a ruthless and greedy corporate raider in the 1987 movie 'Wall Street.' Oliver Stone, the director of 'Wall Street,' notably used Boesky's infamous phrase, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good," in the film as it succinctly encapsulated the overall sentiment of that corporate era. Despite the negative implications of his actions, Boesky's influence on 80s culture and the world of finance cannot be understated.