Netflix Director Diverts $11 Million Film Budget To Crypto Stocks Gamble, Makes A Surprising Fortune

Jim Haastrup
5 Min Read

Key Insights

  • The director of Netflix’s Conquest has made a fortune from money allegedly diverted from the movie’s budget.
  • Rinsch invested $10.5 million in the stock market and lost nearly $6 million in a few weeks.
  • The Director bet $4 million on Dogecoin and made a $27 million profit
  • Rinsch allegedly spent nearly $9 million on items including five Rolls Royce and a Ferrari and claimed they were props for the show.
  • Rinsch is also suing Netflix for $14 million in damages.

In a literal example of “fortune favours the bold”, a Netflix director has recently made the news for diverting money meant for a film’s budget, and gambling on crypto.

The most interesting part of this is, that this director multiplied his initial investment by more than 6 times.

Carl Erik Rinsch, the director of Netflix’s sci-fi series Conquest, had a wild ride in the stock and crypto markets over the last few months.

Rinsch reportedly used nearly $11 million of his show’s budget to gamble with stocks and crypto and made millions on a single $4 million Dogecoin bet.

A Lucky Bet?

According to a recent report from The New York Times, Rinsch got an initial budget of $44 million from Netflix in 2020 to make the new sci-fi series he’d come up with.

However, a year and a half later, Rinsch called Netflix back, claiming that he needed more money to finish the show.

Netflix agreed, and wired him another $11 million, bringing the total to about $55 million.

However, instead of using the money to complete the show like he’d told Netflix, Rinsch allegedly took out almost $11 million and split it in two.

$6 million went into pharmaceutical companies on the stock market, as well as the S&P 500. However, all of this money went down the drain in a few weeks, leaving him with a little over $4 million.

Netflix Rinsch on set
Rinsch on set

In what might have been a flash of desperation, Rinsch transferred the rest of the money into the crypto exchange, Kraken.

Soon after doing this, he used it all to buy Dogecoin at less than a cent at the time. This was around when Dogecoin had all the hype, thanks to influencers like Elon Musk. Rinsch held on to his DOGE while its price soared, and eventually sold right at the top in May 2021, when the price of the memecoin soared to over 70 cents.

By the time Rinsch took out all of his profits, the New York Times reports that he had a crypto balance of about $27 million.

Netflix: A Lavish Lifestyle

According to a forensic accountant Rinsch’s ex-wife hired for divorce proceedings, Rinsch immediately spent his newfound riches on an almost $380,000 watch, five Rolls Royces, a Ferrari, designer clothes, and high-end furnishings.

Rinsch also stated that some of the things he purchased were props for Conquest, which he still planned to complete.

Netflix spent $55 million on the sci-fi series but has not received a single episode yet. Things took a twist from here.

Rinsch is now suing Netflix, accusing the streaming service of breaching its contract and owing him $14 million in damages.

According to the director’s argument, the money he used for gambling was actually his, and he did not violate any terms of the agreement.

Netflix on the other hand, denies owing Rinsch anything and maintains that the director failed to deliver the show he promised.

Both parties are now entrenched in a legal battle in private court proceedings, and a ruling is expected soon.

Disclaimer: Voice of Crypto aims to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, but it will not be responsible for any missing facts or inaccurate information. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile financial assets, so research and make your own financial decisions.

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Jim Haastrup is a blockchain and technical writer at Voice of Crypto, where he covers cryptocurrency, NFTs, DeFi, GameFi, and the Metaverse. Before joining Voice of Crypto in 2022, he spent over three years as a senior technical writer across multiple blockchain projects, including Hashtoken, Naxar, and Bino, where he specialized in whitepapers, technical documentation, and content strategy for decentralized finance applications. Jim began his career as a junior technical writer at RM in Canada before advancing to lead technical writing roles at Bulltoken, a cryptocurrency crowdfunding platform in Norway. Throughout his career, he has authored more than 800 articles and collaborated with development teams to translate complex blockchain protocols into accessible content for diverse audiences including developers, investors, and crypto enthusiasts. His work spans ICO/STO/IDO research and analysis, cryptocurrency market trend forecasting, and social media management for crypto brands. Jim has helped numerous startups build their online presence through strategic content marketing, technical whitepapers, and pitch deck development. Jim graduated from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Nigeria with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering in 2021. Disclosure: No significant crypto holdings.