​If I were to ask you to think about a new money billionaire, you are likely to imagine a guy who loves to show off. Well, you’re mostly right. In the TV show called “Billions” (2016-2021), a self-made billionaire battles the risk of jail time through his daring moves to accumulate enormous wealth. 

​“Billions” is about Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis), the king of hedge fund and a billionaire from humble beginnings who often steps in the grey area of law; and his adversary Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti), the US attorney for the southern district of New York and well-known for his ruthless pragmatism. This series explores the battle of money and power through an adult version of the cat and mouse game as Rhoades tries to put Axelrod in jail.

​“Billions,” based on Steve Cohen, a real-life hedge fund legend, simultaneously reveals the cruelness of reality under the mask of humor. It explores the high risk of the hedge fund industry as a zero-sum game. The slightest misstep can wipe a man out of the game even if he is “as innocent as Virgin Mary before her first period.” Wall Street explores fear and greed within human nature. With a steel will, Axelrod harnesses his own nature, never denying his rapacious desires, paving his meteoric rise to the world’s 1 percent.

“Billions” also gets us rethinking about the boundaries of good and evil through Axelrod’s obsession with winning and Rhoades’ compulsion for righteousness. As vicious blows are struck as they try to take each other down unscrupulously, they inadvertently reveal their congruous nature. Believing that“there are consequences of each action,” Rhoades goes to great lengths to chase down Axelrod, including sacrificing 20 million dollars just to set a trap for him. Meanwhile, Axe strikes back powerfully: “What have I really done wrong? Except make money and succeed.” 

The star and driving force of the show is without a doubt Axelrod. Clad in well-worn Metallica and Black Sabbath t-shirts, Axelrod swears all he wants and is unapologetic about his boldness and rebelliousness. Eschewing typical boundaries of morality and traditions, Axelrod is also a daredevil willing to take great risks to complete his goals. But despite all these, he is loyal to his family and is unbiased towards others, making him a compelling character we can’t help but be drawn to.

Welcome to the world of “Billions”: submerge yourself in the grueling world of finance, see a thrilling hunt between the two riveting and ruthless leads Axelrod and Rhoades, and bask in a plethora of satirical humor. It’s a rough ride, but you are gonna love it.