Finance coach suing Showtime series ‘Billions’ for ripping off her book reveals emails from show’s creators asking for her help developing the lead character
- Denise Shull, 59, a hedge fund performance coach suing Showtime’s ‘Billions,’ released email correspondences with the creators of the show
- The emails with co-creator Andrew Ross Sorkin and actress Maggie Siff, who plays a character similar to Shull, allegedly bolster her claim they ripped her off
- The cable show billing itself as ‘a complex drama about power politics in the world of New York high finance’ premiered in 2015 without crediting Shull
A psychologist and author suing a cable television show she alleges infringed on her life and book on finance released her email correspondences with the show’s creators.
Denise Shull, 59, who bills herself as ‘the world’s only female hedge fund performance coach,’ is suing Showtime’s ‘Billions’ for copyright infringement and provided the New York Post with emails with the show’s creators she believes bolsters her claim.
‘They’ve left me with nothing and then went out of their way to make me look bad for telling the truth,’ said Shull about her lawsuit.
Shull says the series ripped off her likeness for the character of Wendy Roades, played by Maggie Siff, and her book ‘Market Mind Games: A Radical Psychology of Investing, Trading and Risk,’ that discusses how emotions better inform financial decision-making.
Decision coach and performance architect Denise Shull attends the Women In Entertainment’s 4th Annual Summit on October 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Shull is currently suing the Showtime series ‘Billions’ for copyright infringement
Maggie Siff as the character Wendy Rhoades in ‘Billions,’ who Denise Shull alleges is based on her life and career
Allegedly, Andrew Ross Sorkin, also known for the book ‘Too Big to Fail, invited Shull onto ‘Squawk Box’ his CNBC show in 2012, to discuss her book before emailing her questions for his Showtime show.
‘I’m involved in a new fictional TV drama being made for Showtime about hedge funds … Maggie, who is an extraordinary actress, recently asked me if I could introduce her to someone who works with traders in real-life,’ Sorkin wrote in a 2015 email provided by Shull. ‘Would you be willing to meet her?’
The email would lead to a two-hour meeting with writers and executives where the New York City-based author says she was peppered with questions.
Afterwards, additional emails from Alphonzo Terrell, digital marketing director, would ask her about being part of the show’s promotion, and actress Maggie Siff would send technical questions.
Andrew Ross Sorkin, one of the creators of ‘Billions,’ had previously hosted Denise Shull on his CNBC show ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss her book and ideas before emailing her to ask for help on his Showtime series
The Showtime series ‘Billions’ (left) premiered in January 2016 without crediting Denise Shull or her book ‘Market Mind Games.’ Shull is suing the network and the show creators for copyright infringement
The exchanges eventually ended without any additional discussion of her involvement or compensation.
‘It seemed like I was being blown off,’ said Shull.
The cable show billing itself as ‘a complex drama about power politics in the world of New York high finance’ starring Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis and Maggie Siff, premiered on January 1, 2016, without crediting or compensating Shull.
‘Dr. Rhoades’ technique is not a fiction created out of the minds of the showrunners and writers of ‘Billions,” her lawsuit seeking unspecified damages in New York federal court states according to The Wrap.
‘Rather, it is an unauthorized rip-off of Plaintiff Ms. Shull’s original work, the book ‘Market Mind Games: A Radical Psychology of Investing, Trading, and Risk.”
‘We will be filing a motion to dismiss the entire lawsuit next week,’ a Showtime representative told the New York Post.