Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a Wall Street stockbroker who is desperate to get to the top. He considers Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) as his hero and plan to work with him. Fox succeeds in meeting Gekko and gives him stock tip of a small airline Bluestar based on the insider information, which he obtained from his father, Carl (Martin Sheen), who is working as maintenance chief at Bluestar. Gekko earns profit from his investment in Bluestar as its stock price increases after the verdict. Gekko explains his "Greed is Good" philosophy and Fox starts working closely with him. Fox starts enjoying Gekko's fast money and gets into relationship with interior decorator Darien (Daryl Hannah). Gekko convinces Fox about his investment in Bluestar and tells him about the benefit to employees, but things become nasty when Fox learns the Gekko's intention of dismantling Bluestar and selling it part by part.