Orange. Vimeo. Era: Late 1980s Before Dick Fuld and Dick Grasso, AIG and Enron, and every other poster boy for Wall Street greed and excess, there was Michael Milken, the junk-bond king of Drexel Burnham. Milken was a financial genius and a pioneer—“high-yield bonds” were revolutionary, a high-risk, high-reward way for companies to raise money. But used recklessly, they were a tool to tear apart otherwise healthy companies—the era of the hostile takeover was on. And even after a staggering $550 million bonus in 1986, Milken couldn’t help himself—he was convicted of securities fraud, part of Ivan Boesky’s insider-trading ring. Boesky was the inspiration for Gordon “Greed is Good” Gekko, but it was Milken who epitomized the iconic ‘80s Wall Street villain.