Movie 'Gold' with Matthew Mcconahey(spelling?)

[mikekle]

I saw this last night and could not believe the ending!

This is about the two guys, Kenny Wells and Michael Acosta, back in the 90s who fooled wall street and other investment banks with a fake gold mine in Indonesia.

The only part I didnt get was why Wells turned down $300 million offer, in the end they came out half as rich as they could have been.

 

[friardchips]

I saw this last night and could not believe the ending!

This is about the two guys, Kenny Wells and Michael Acosta, back in the 90s who fooled wall street and other investment banks with a fake gold mine in Indonesia.

The only part I didnt get was why Wells turned down $300 million offer, in the end they came out half as rich as they could have been.

Depending on when the offer was made, it could be because otherwise, the story wouldn’t have made a decent enough plot to make a film.

 

[mikekle]

Depending on when the offer was made, it could be because otherwise, the story wouldn’t have made a decent enough plot to make a film.

From reading a little bit about this incident, it was when everyone thought this was the largest gold find of the decade, that hancock mining offered Wells and Acosta $300 million.

Id be interested where these 2 guys are today, I could not find a source that mentions this, Acosta successfully faked his own death right after this happened, but they are both alive and wealthy somewhere out there today.

 

[friardchips]

From reading a little bit about this incident, it was when everyone thought this was the largest gold find of the decade, that hancock mining offered Wells and Acosta $300 million.

Id be interested where these 2 guys are today, I could not find a source that mentions this, Acosta successfully faked his own death right after this happened, but they are both alive and wealthy somewhere out there today.

If a person has that much money, they can make themselves disappear. They could have built themselves bunker-houses hidden from suspecting eyes, with all kinds of security and surveillance. No doubt living somewhere in a very hot country drinking cocktails and ‘enjoying’ the high-life. However, even that could become dull, day after day, especially seeing as they would have to watch over their shoulders the whole time. Would be like Groundhog Day except in a much warmer climate with a lot more money. Added to the fact, that they might end up trying to gain even more money, from boredom, thus putting them in communication eventually with extremely dangerous people who they hadn’t imagined could exist - maybe they are dead, now, or broke?!

 

[mikekle]

If a person has that much money, they can make themselves disappear. They could have built themselves bunker-houses hidden from suspecting eyes, with all kinds of security and surveillance. No doubt living somewhere in a very hot country drinking cocktails and ‘enjoying’ the high-life. However, even that could become dull, day after day, especially seeing as they would have to watch over their shoulders the whole time. Would be like Groundhog Day except in a much warmer climate with a lot more money. Added to the fact, that they might end up trying to gain even more money, from boredom, thus putting them in communication eventually with extremely dangerous people who they hadn’t imagined could exist - maybe they are dead, now, or broke?!

Oh yes, they screwed over some powerful people, and then hollywood goes and makes a major movie about it…so its likely this riled some people up and got them interested in finding these 2 guys again.

Although in the interviews on the DVD, the producer said he had met with Wells on a few occasions to get some facts for the movie, so if they could find him…

 

[friardchips]

Oh yes, they screwed over some powerful people, and then hollywood goes and makes a major movie about it…so its likely this riled some people up and got them interested in finding these 2 guys again.

Although in the interviews on the DVD, the producer said he had met with Wells on a few occasions to get some facts for the movie, so if they could find him…

It sounds as if they either didn’t hide as well as they could have done, they kept some of their contacts, they were given contact with the producer through someone they knew, or, they found people to get in touch with when they themselves decided to be communicable via some kind of network.

It is like when journalists interview people such as that Mexican Cartel boss: how did they find him when the CIA, or whoever, couldn’t?

I tend to think that although some of the most wealthy are very powerful, in one respect, they are not necessarily dangerous in the way one might think, when in contrast with gangs and those government organisations tasked with controlling them (check the film Sicario). That is what I mean by powerful - in dangerous terms.

 

[mikekle]

It is like when journalists interview people such as that Mexican Cartel boss: how did they find him when the CIA, or whoever, couldn’t?

I tend to think that although some of the most wealthy are very powerful, in one respect, they are not necessarily dangerous in the way one might think, when in contrast with gangs and those government organisations tasked with controlling them (check the film Sicario). That is what I mean by powerful - in dangerous terms.

Yea, I agree, it reminds me of back in the 80s, how aggressively US law enforcment went after Pablo Escobar, but even though the drug trade is much more deadly today, we dont see that aggressive pursuit of the mexican cartel or its leadership, although thats an entirely different discussion, in that it implies some degree of collusion imo, but you know, its much more lucrative to ‘treat’ a problem rather than totally cure it, if they target the cartels and destroy them…well that would mean the war on drugs has to end and all the funding goes away…so thats NEVER going to happen!

 

[friardchips]

Yea, I agree, it reminds me of back in the 80s, how aggressively US law enforcment went after Pablo Escobar, but even though the drug trade is much more deadly today, we dont see that aggressive pursuit of the mexican cartel or its leadership, although thats an entirely different discussion, in that it implies some degree of collusion imo, but you know, its much more lucrative to ‘treat’ a problem rather than totally cure it, if they target the cartels and destroy them…well that would mean the war on drugs has to end and all the funding goes away…so thats NEVER going to happen!

I think it also it is about diplomacy. Think I read or saw a documentary in which the Mexican Prime Minister/President - whoever leads the country - was in regular communication with a US minister, trying to move forward with things on that level. And so, if the US is basically only helping to ignite the drug wars - in effect - then it is going to counteract, or be seen to counteract, anything done on more peaceful terms.

Wasn’t P E Columban? I think Colombia is more sorted out in that respect; Mexico is the area now, worst affected.

Certainly, I think that institutions set up to combat things must find it hard to pack up and let go after everything. I actually had the same thought about some organisations in other subject areas.

From what I’ve seen from the film and documentaries on youtube, about Mexico, I definitely think there is a lot that isn’t said.

There are probably certain little specialist teams set up that deal specifically with one subject area, for each troubled area, which would make it easier to pack up when all is over…however, when is it all ever over?!