Date the Boss's DaughterMixing business and pleasure is always risky, but sometimes it pays off. After Gordon Gekko makes a speech at For dham, protagonist Jake Moore runs up to talk to him, along with the rest of the audience. But Jake manages to get his attention by shouting, "I'm going to marry your daughter!" Gekko turns and the two take a subway ride together, where a quid pro quo relationship is established and Gekko takes Jake under his wing. Lesson 1: Family connections are invaluable. BUT this also puts Jake in the somewhat precarious position of lying to his girlfriend and balancing both r elationships. So, Lesson 2: Account for everyone's concerns if you happen to be dating your mentor's daughter. You'll need to make everyone happy. And in real life, if something goes wrong with either party, a video m ontage set to sappy music will not rectify the problem. Walk the Tough-Guy/Respectful LineWhen Bretton James takes an interest in Jake after the latter costs the former millions, Jake doesn't kowtow immediately. He stays cool, calm and tough, and discusses James' biking hobby instead of business. At the end of the interrogation, he's offered a job interview. Lesson: Maintain the right amount of respect without being obsequious. Do Your HomeworkThere's a particularly funny scene where the Churchill Schwartz (read: Goldman Sachs)team is trying to do a deal and Jake seems to be the only person in the room who's aware of Chinese business customs. He offers his counterparts a bottle of Johnnie Walker and breaks out some fluent Mandarin. While the conceit demands a little suspended disbelief (he can't be the only one who's read "How to Do Business with Foreign People" guides), it's a good example of the need to do research on potential clients.
