Betting on Zero

Theodore Braun's documentary focuses on a battle between two controversial entities: hedge fund executive Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital and Herbalife, the global nutritional and supplement company that relied on multi-level marketing to boost its sales. Ackman accused Herbalife of being a pyramid scheme and took an unprecedented billion-dollar short position against it. Part of Ackman's argument involved claims that Herbalife targets working-class Americans, including many Hispanics, with its lure of building quick fortunes in exchange for an initial $3,000 investment to become an Herbalife seller. If Ackman comes across as being a tad too self-righteous in denouncing the allegedly dubious nature of Herbalife's sales strategy, Herbalife CEO Michael O. Johnson, a former Disney executive, comes across as a glib, larger-than-life parody of the very worst in corporate smugness. Complicating matters, however, is having one of the most respected figures in big business, billionaire investor Carl Icahn, siding with Johnson against Ackman in a high-profile and deeply personal duel of financial titans. Braun presents a compelling portrait of shaky morality within contemporary American capitalism. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)