Betting on Zero follows hedge fund manager Bill Ackman’s public campaign against nutrition company Herbalife, which he alleges operates as a pyramid scheme. The documentary juxtaposes activist investors, regulators and individual distributors to explore contested narratives about the firm’s business model.
Use in class
This film fits well in finance, marketing and business ethics modules. It prompts analysis of multi level marketing structures, short selling, activist investing and consumer protection. Students can examine how evidence is marshalled by different stakeholders and how regulators balance proof, harm and market freedom.
Trailer
