Fans of The Big Short (2015) will recognize Mark Baum as the character. Is he based on a real person, though? Who is that? What is he doing these days?
Star-studded cast members of Adam McKay’s The Big Short include Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, and Steve Carrell. It is based on Michael Lewis’s 2010 nonfiction book, which details the 2000s real estate market, especially the 2007–2008 financial crisis.
After receiving positive reviews and earning $133 million in revenue upon its December 2015 Paramount Pictures release, the movie took home the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
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Steve Carrell portrayed Mark Baum, a businessman and investor who shorted collateralized debt obligations (CDOs). While many around him felt otherwise, he was credited with anticipating the financial disaster.
Does Mark Baum have a true life story?
Steve Eisman, the real person on whom Mark Baum is based, requested that his name be altered for the movie. Eisman oversaw the management of more than $1 billion at FrontPoint Partners LLC, a Morgan Stanley trust fund. During the 2007–2008 financial crisis, FrontPoint Partners, a Connecticut–based company, placed a wager against subprime mortgages.
What is the background of Steve Eisman?
Before enrolling at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a BA, Eisman was raised in New York City. After that, he enrolled at Harvard Law.
He had previously worked at Chilton Investment Co. as a managing director and senior financial services analyst. After that, he went to work as a financial services analyst for Oppenheimer & Co. in the departments of investment banking, asset management, and specialty finance.
Steve Eisman ©Bloomberg
After The Big Short, what has Steve Eisman accomplished?
After departing from FrontPoint Partners in 2011, Eisman used $23 million in initial money to launch Emrys Partners in 2012. But due to the fund’s poor performance, he closed it down in 2014.
After that, he started working with Neuberger Berman as a managing director and senior portfolio manager in the Private Asset Management division for the Eisman Group.
How true to the real Steve Eisman is Steve Carrell’s portrayal in The Big Short?
How much does Steve Carrell’s Mark Baum look like Steve Eisman in this portrayal?
His propensity for rudeness is one facet of his personality that is depicted in the movie. Valerie Feigen, the wife of Eisman (played by Marisa Tomei as Cynthia in The Big Short), said the following about her husband:
“People think he’s aggressive, obnoxious, and rude even on Wall Street.”
The following exchange occurs in The Big Short:
Mark Baum (over the phone): Alright, I want you to go back in there and tell the risk-takers to f**k off in a very cool, collected manner!
As he enters the meeting, Vinny Daniel says, “Gentlemen, I just spoke with Mark Baum, and he says to f**k off.”
FAQs
Who is Mark Baum?
Mark Baum is a character in “The Big Short,” based on real-life hedge fund manager Steve Eisman, known for predicting and profiting from the 2008 financial crisis.
What was Mark Baum’s role in ‘The Big Short’?
In “The Big Short,” Mark Baum is portrayed as a hedge fund manager who bets against the subprime mortgage market, foreseeing the financial crisis of 2008.
Is Mark Baum a real person?
Mark Baum is a fictionalized version of Steve Eisman, a real-life hedge fund manager.
What did Mark Baum predict about the financial crisis?
Mark Baum (Steve Eisman) predicted the collapse of the housing market due to the unsustainable nature of subprime mortgage lending.
What is Mark Baum doing now?
Currently, Mark Baum (Steve Eisman) continues to work in finance and is known for his commentary on market trends and regulatory issues.
