The FBI sent two agents specializing in financial cases—a guy named Anthony and a woman named Julianne.
"Mr. Walker, thanks for cooperating. Our investigation shows you've raked in nearly $700 million from the stock and futures markets this year alone!"
After some small talk, Dunn sat across from the agents, kicking off the routine chat. Anthony's emphasis on "$700 million" made the focus of this investigation crystal clear.
Julianne, a woman in her forties with a gentle vibe, smiled and said, "Mr. Walker, if there's anything you're hesitant to share, we can wait for your lawyer—no rush, we're happy to hang out."
It sounded like she was being nice, but it was a sneaky trap. If Dunn stalled, wouldn't that just prove he's hiding something?
Dunn sipped his coffee calmly, not a hint of nerves. "I don't know much about legal stuff, but chatting about the process sounds kinda fun. Oh, and it's not $700 million—after taxes, it's $558 million, including the $80 million I started with from dividends."
Anthony grinned. "True success is only real when you share it, right?"
Julianne chimed in, "*Titanic* is my favorite movie, Mr. Walker—you nailed it!"
Dunn waved it off. "Let's stick to business. I'm swamped—literally just got back from checking in on Marvel."
Anthony's face turned serious as he pulled a file from his briefcase and handed it to Dunn. "Mr. Walker, our records show you dropped out of high school in your sophomore year. No financial education whatsoever."
Dunn glanced at the file and got annoyed. The FBI had dug up everything—his entire life from birth to now. Even that time he got caught shoplifting at 14 was in there, down to the nitty-gritty details. Half this stuff, Dunn didn't even remember himself!
He tossed the "résumé" onto the table, keeping his cool. "Yup, that's right."
Julianne leaned forward, locking eyes with him like she could see through him. "If you know nothing about finance, why'd you dump so much money into stocks and futures?"
Dunn chuckled. "Why not? You've got my whole life story there. For *Titanic*, I borrowed $150 million and nearly went broke! It's simple—I've got the guts to go big."
Julianne frowned. "Mr. Walker, please answer directly. I'm asking about economics, not movies."
Dunn shrugged. "That *is* my direct answer. I don't get economics—does that mean I can't play the market? I dropped out in sophomore year, never studied film either, yet here I am, one of Hollywood's top directors."
Anthony's tone sharpened. "It's not the same, Mr. Walker. You spent two years as an assistant on set, soaking up movies every day. Even without formal training, you understood the craft. The stock market's different. Even Wall Street pros can't predict it—let alone an outsider like you."
"I can't either. Just got lucky," Dunn said with a casual shrug.
"Luck's not an excuse, Mr. Walker!" Anthony snapped.
Dunn rubbed his forehead, exasperated. "What are you guys fishing for? Stocks, movies—you can see I'm a risk-taker. I'm about to buy a TV station and jump into that industry next. Do you think I'm some TV expert?"
Julianne straightened up, all business. "Mr. Walker, this is a serious investigation. Answer directly—no analogies, no challenging our methods."
"Fine, I'll play it straight. Ask away." Dunn crossed his legs, arms folded, staring them down.
"Why'd you buy Yahoo stock in the first place?"
"It was doing well."
"Why sell it off early this year?"
"Back in early '99, Yahoo had a boom-and-bust cycle. I'm not greedy, so I cashed out. You saw the result—my caution paid off big time."
Anthony and Julianne exchanged a look and shook their heads. Dunn, not greedy? Cautious? What a joke! 😂 If he were humble or careful, he wouldn't be tangled up with giants like Disney and Fox right now.
"Your Yahoo moves do show sharp instincts," Julianne admitted, then pivoted. "But why, just a month after selling, did you short Yahoo?"
Anthony jumped in, "Not just Yahoo—Cisco, Apple, Microsoft, Dell, AOL—all the hot tech stocks. This was March, when tech was at its peak, with investors and firms snapping them up like crazy."
Here's the real kicker!
Dunn knew if he didn't nail this answer, he'd be in deep trouble. Even with "innocent until proven guilty," the feds would watch his every financial move from now on.
"You already said it—'cause I don't know economics!" Dunn sighed, playing helpless.
Anthony narrowed his eyes. "Care to elaborate?"
"Sure."
Dunn softened his tone, explaining slowly. "I busted my butt in Hollywood to make money, then threw it into the market. Of course I was scared! So I kept up with financial news—stuff like the economic sections in *The New York Times* and *The Wall Street Journal*."
"In '98, I read an article by James Glassman, a Harvard guest professor and big-shot economist. It was called *Dow 36,000*. He argued the overheated internet market was full of bubbles—an upside-down pyramid hyped up by investors and firms. Super risky."
"Then this year, Yale's Robert Shiller—y'know, the famous economist who won the Samuelson Award—dropped a book, *Irrational Exuberance*. He broke down how the internet boom was a misguided economic frenzy."
Julianne frowned. "So you're saying… you read these conservative takes and decided the market would crash, so you shorted tech stocks?"
Dunn nodded firmly. "Exactly!"
"But that's just a handful of voices," Anthony pressed. "Most economists and Wall Street analysts were bullish on tech. Why trust the conservatives? From what I've seen, you're not exactly cautious, Mr. Walker."
Dunn shook his head. "True, caution's not my style—but being open-minded is! I don't get finance, but I know one thing: what goes up must come down. Last year, everyone hyped *Saving Private Ryan* for the Oscars. Guess what? *Titanic* won big. Same logic."
"It's not the same," Anthony shot back. "Movies are one thing, stocks are another. Greed always wins—otherwise NASDAQ wouldn't be a mess right now!"
Dunn laughed dryly. "Agent, what are you implying? That I've got some shadowy group behind me? Or that I orchestrated the NASDAQ crash? That's not how the FBI rolls, is it?"
Julianne jumped in to smooth things over. "Mr. Walker, we're not accusing you. If you had a group backing you, this wouldn't be a casual chat."
"Good to know." Dunn spread his hands, relaxed. "Look, it's simple: I'm lucky, I've got a good eye, I'm humble—and I didn't break any laws!"
…
The talk with the FBI agents wrapped up on friendly terms. But the next day? Bam—Dunn Capital and Dunn Pictures got hit with FBI notices: assets frozen during the investigation. Plus, Dunn couldn't leave the U.S.
Dunn Capital could wait, no biggie. But freezing Dunn Pictures' assets? That's a gut punch to the company's operations—especially now, with plans to buy Tarz Network and team up with Comcast to fend off Disney and Fox.
Worse, it's May already. The Cannes Film Festival is about to kick off! Dunn had high hopes for this one. Natalie's too young to snag an Oscar, but a win at Europe's prestigious Cannes could boost her confidence big time.
France is *the* art capital, and Natalie's been struggling with self-doubt at Harvard—feeling inferior because she's an actress. A nod from the French art scene could make her life there way smoother.
But now? Dunn's grounded!
This year's Cannes jury chair is Luc Besson. If Dunn showed up, he could "work some magic." Without him, though? Sam Mendes, a young British director, and Alan Ball, a nobody producer, don't stand a chance at swaying Besson.
The kicker: they can't offer Besson enough perks—but Dunn could! Don't kid yourself—European film fests aren't pure. Even a flop like *Wild Wild West* opened Cannes once. It's all about cozying up to Hollywood.
Hollywood's the movie mecca. Who wouldn't want in?