"Billions", a Showtime miniseries, presents a strong criticism of big philanthropy with characters whose likeness to reality is, in a few cases, uncanny.
"It’s no wonder some people think philanthropy is too often carried out by people with no real love of humanity.
"Take Bobby Axelrod. He has it all: good looks; a beautiful wife; billions of ill-gotten (we think) dollars; and a keen sense for making just the right business deal, no matter who he takes down or how he does it, always keeping a razor-sharp balance between reckless disregard for the law and self-preservation.
"Mr. Axelrod is a central character in Showtime’s new miniseries "Billions." Played by Damian Lewis (best known for his role in Homeland), Mr. Axelrod is engaged in a high-stakes game with Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti), the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who thinks Bobby’s smart-money reputation on the street is maybe a little too smart. (For those who follow the New York financial scene, think of Mr. Rhoades as Preet Bharara, the real federal prosecutor for the Southern District, and of Mr. Axelrod as Steven Cohen, a hedge-fund manager who pleaded guilty a few years ago to insider trading.) Mr. Rhoades knows of Mr. Axelrod’s financial perfidy, but he needs the right time and circumstances to come together to make his move."--Doug White, The Chronicle of Philanthropy