In Trading Places, Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd sell high and then buy low. Either way, they make a lot of money. So what happened? It starts with some insider information. Aykroyd and Murphy steal a report that will cause the price of orange juice to fall, and replace it with a report that says OJ prices will rise.
Full Answer
What happened at the end of Trading Places?
It's been 30 years since Trading Places came out. And, to be honest, I never really understood what happened at the end of that movie. Sure, Louis Winthorpe (Dan Aykroyd) and Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) get rich, and the Duke brothers lose all their money.
What is the story behind Trading Places?
Harris conceived the outline for Trading Places in the early 1980s after encountering two wealthy brothers who were engaged in an ongoing rivalry with each other. He and his writing partner Weingrod developed the idea as a project to star Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder.
How much did the movie Trading Places make?
In the United States (U.S.) and Canada, Trading Places received a wide release on Wednesday, June 8, 1983, across 1,375 theaters. [42] [43] The film earned $1.7 million leading into its opening weekend when it earned a further $7.3 million—an average of $5,344 per theater.
Is'trading places'the greatest movie about finance ever?
Copy Link Last week, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Trading Places," the greatest movie about finance ever made, with an oral history of the film. There are so many unforgettable moments.
What happened in Trading Places stock?
In other words, Winthorpe and Valentine have contracts allowing them to buy millions of pounds of orange juice in April for 29 cents a pound, and to sell it for $1.42 a pound. They sold high and bought low. They're rich. The Dukes made the opposite bet and went broke.
How much money did they make in the end of Trading Places?
Profits: (122 cents/pound - 38 cents/pound) * 15000 pounds/contract * 20000 contracts = $252,000,000.00. Cha-ching! Since the Dukes' agent flamed out, he's holding a bunch of contracts at the end of trading.
How much money did the Dukes lose in Trading Places?
So half the Duke's margin call is $197,000,000, that means they had a long position of 101,025 OJ Contracts ($394m/2/$1,950). Each OJ contract amount to 15,000 pounds of OJ, so that's 1.5 million pounds of orange juice solids to be delivered to warehouses in Florida, New Jersey, or Delaware.
How did Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy make money in Trading Places?
How did Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy win at the end of Trading Places? Investors make money when they buy low and sell high. In Trading Places, Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd sell high and then buy low. Either way, they make a lot of money.
Was Trading Places filmed in the World trade Center?
Where was Trading Places filmed?Duke and Dukes.Wells Fargo South Broad Street, Philadelphia. ... Winthorpe House, Trading Places.2014 Delancey Street, Philadelphia. ... Clothespin Statue, Market Street. ... Arriving in New York, on Greenwich Street. ... Winthorpe and Valentine at the World Trade Center.World Trade Center, New York.
Where is the Duke mansion from Trading Places?
You can find the Duke and Duke building at 135 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA.
How much did Louis and Billy Ray make?
How much did Billy Ray and Louis make in their scheme? The actual amount isn't given but the Dukes had to pay $394 million ($1.011 BILLION in 2019 adjusted for inflation) In the movie, the Dukes "shorted" oranges in a "margin" trade, using leverage.
How much money did Eddie Murphy make in Trading Places?
$1 millionIt was reported that Murphy earned up to $1 million for Trading Places, but by his third film, Beverly Hills Cop (1984), he commanded a $3 million salary. This was considered a top-tier salary reserved for the most popular movie stars.
Are the Duke brothers from Trading Places still alive?
In the 2021 sequel Coming 2 America, the Duke brothers are long dead, but their company is thriving, run by their grandson, Carter Duke. There is a framed portrait of the Dukes in their grandson's office.
What is Eddie Murphy's net worth 2020?
Eddie Murphy is a very successful comedian. As of 2020, Eddie Murphy's Net Worth is an estimated $6.7 billion.
Is Trading Places based on a true story?
The writers were inspired by a real-life pair of wealthy and competitive brothers. Although Trading Places is largely based around the three central roles of Louis, Billy Ray and Ophelia, these were not the characters the story was initially built around.
What was the bet in Trading Places?
Billy Ray Valentine is a hustling beggar. Winthorpe's employers, the elderly Duke brothers, make a bet that by switching the lifestyle of the two, Billy Ray will make good and their man will take to a life of crime.
How much did Winthorpe and Valentine buy FCOJ?
Then, when the price falls as a result of the release of the real crop report indicating a good harvest, Winthorpe and Valentine buy futures at roughly $0.22 per unit. Thus, for every future unit they had previously sold at $1.45, they purchase a matching amount for only $0.22, resulting in a profit of over $1.20 per unit (over 545%).
Why do Duke brothers buy FCOJ?
At the same time, the Duke brothers purchase enormous quantities of FCOJ futures, even at relatively high prices, because they incorrectly expect that the crop report (falsely suggesting a greater need for stockpiled orange juice) will create a demand at even higher prices, securing them a profit. When it turns out that the leaked report they were given was fraudulent and the true report is revealed, the price begins to plummet before they are able to sell off their contracts. So, they are left with an obligation to buy millions of units of FCOJ at a price more than a dollar per unit higher than they can sell them for, bankrupting them."
What is the trading place?
Trading Places. Trading Places is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis and starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. It tells the story of an upper-class commodities broker and a homeless street hustler whose lives cross paths when they are unknowingly made part of an elaborate bet. Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, ...
Why does the stock exchange give a margin call?
The exchange does gives them a “margin call” as well indicating that they have to pay up everything right away which they can’t do because they were trading with money they didn’t actually have (I think it was something like $300,000,000 owed). That forced them to be completely broke.
When did Trading Places come out?
Trading Places was first released on DVD in October 2002. A Special Collector's Edition (also known as the "Looking Good, Feeling Good" edition) was released in 2007 on DVD, Blu-ray, and HD DVD.
How much did Trading Places make?
Trading Places was considered a box-office success on its release, earning over $90.4 million to become the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1983 in North America. It also received generally positive reviews.
What was the first movie that Murphy made?
The studio was initially unhappy with Murphy's performance in his first film, the as-then-unreleased action-comedy 48 Hrs. (1983)—a film also conceived as a Pryor project. However, that film was well received by preview test audiences, leading the studio to reverse its opinion.
How many movies were released in 1983?
Over 40 films were scheduled for release over the 16-week period. Studios had to strategize their releases to avoid damaging their own films' performances by pitting them against better-performing competition. Paramount Studios opted to release Trading Places at the start of summer, as those films expected to do well would benefit from being in theaters longer during this busy period. Comedy films were considered counterprogramming that attracted audiences who had already seen, or were not interested in, the major film releases that were mainly focused on science-fiction and superheroes. Trading Places was released between Return of the Jedi in May and Superman III in mid-June. While sequels were expected to do well having the advantage of a built-in audience, Trading Places was predicted to be successful based on its cast.
What was the name of the movie that Curtis played in?
Trading Places is considered Curtis' breakout performance, allowing her to move into films outside the horror genre; actor John Cleese cast Curtis in the 1988 heist comedy A Fish Called Wanda specifically because of her performance in Trading Places.
What did Arnold say about trading places?
Arnold said that Trading Places was evidence that Murphy's successes were not a fluke, and that Murphy demonstrated an "exhilarating comic authority". Canby said that Trading Places gave Murphy an opportunity to demonstrate the range of his abilities in a "lithe, graceful, uproarious" performance.
Who wrote the outline for trading places?
Harris conceived the outline for Trading Places in the early 1980s after encountering two wealthy brothers who were engaged in an ongoing rivalry with each other. He and his writing partner Weingrod developed the idea as a project to star Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder.
Understanding Futures Contracts
Here's The Scam
- In this case, Winthorpe and Valentine first "sell" FCOJ futures at roughly $1.45 per unit, a price inflated by the Dukes themselves (the Duke Brothers' buying leads other traders to believe that the Dukes are trying to corner the market, causing a buying frenzy). Then, when the price falls as a result of the release of the real crop report indicating a good harvest, Winthorpe and Valentine b…
The Hard Numbers
- Though it is not stated in the movie exactly how much they make, if they invested roughly $500,000 from a combination of Winthorpe/Valentine's investment, the Duke's money from buying the "fake" report from a fake Clarence Beeks (Paul Gleason) and Coleman's and Ophelia's savings, they would have turned it into over $2.7 million. It is strongly impl...
"Looking Good, Billy Ray!" "Feeling Good, Lewis!"
- At the same time, the Duke brothers purchase enormous quantities of FCOJ futures, even at relatively high prices, because they incorrectly expect that the crop report (falsely suggesting a greater need for stockpiled orange juice) will create a demand at even higher prices, securing them a profit. When it turns out that the leaked report they were given was fraudulent and the tru…