Bud desperately wants to make it big in the financial industry, and aspires to work for his financial hero/idol, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). The viewer sees this early on in the film, yet it is also clear that Bud is a hardworking, honest stockbroker who has tapped out his salary trying to make ends meet. His father, Carl (Martin Sheen), does not understand why Bud continues to deal with the frustration, and again it is demonstrated that Bud comes from a supporting, loving home. The exposition of the film climaxes when Carl casually tells Bud at dinner one evening that the airline he works for is set to win a case against them, leading to the development of more routes and overall a significant increase in profits. As the words come from his mouth, Carl is concerned by look on Bud's face, "you've got that mischievous look in your eyes " (Wiser and Stone). This is a defining moment in the film, where Bud, out of money and out of luck, decides to use non-public information to get him to Gekko and advance his career. At this point, the viewer believes that Bud truly knows what he is about to do is wrong, yet he chooses to do it anyways for himself. Unfortunately, not only is this the beginning of the downfall of his career, but of his father's as well. .
From this point, the story line develops in an obvious sequence of events. Bud meets Gekko and eventually gains his trust as stockbroker. He gets a promotion at work and the money keeps rolling in as both his salary and payouts from Gekko increase. Along the way, Bud continues using insider information, taking more and more risks as the stakes increase. This is what Gordon Gekko, the big shot on Wall Street taught his student: the idea that it is okay to do whatever it takes to get ahead. He tells Bud, "every battle is won before it's ever fought " (Wiser and Stone), urging to him that the little guys do not stand a chance against their power and wealth.
