The Man Who Definitely Didn't Steal Hollywood

10/6/2025

This is the kind of story you might have expected to read about in the 1920s or 1930s, but the fact that such a prominent Hollywood studio could be acquired for over a billion dollars in 1990 in quite such murky circumstances makes this worth a watch. With the lively participation of Giancarlo Parretti, we explore just how - as a result of a dare that wouldn’t have looked out of place in “Trading Places” - this audacious Italian entrepreneur managed to put together a bid to acquire MGM from Kirk Kerkorian. No sooner has he his feet under his desk, though, than things begin to unravel and jobs begin to go. With the bulk of his cash coming from the increasingly dubious Credit Lyonnais and with investigations galore going on into just about every element of his credentials, credibility and cr