History of Dumb Money in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 15, 2025

Dumb Money is a 2023 biographical comedy-drama that recounts the GameStop short squeeze of January 2021. Based on Ben Mezrich's "The Antisocial Network," the film, directed by Craig Gillespie, follows the David-vs-Goliath story of how a group of amateur retail investors, fueled by social media, took on Wall Street hedge funds by investing in the struggling video game retailer, GameStop. The movie features an ensemble cast and explores the financial and social implications of this unprecedented event, highlighting themes of wealth inequality and the power of online communities to disrupt traditional financial systems.

January 2021: MGM Acquires Rights to "The Antisocial Network"

In January 2021, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) bought the rights to a book proposal by Ben Mezrich about the then-recent GameStop short squeeze, entitled "The Antisocial Network."

The Antisocial Network

Check it on Amazon

January 2021: Aggressive GameStop Stock Purchases Increase Stock Price

In January 2021, aggressive GameStop stock purchases by Keith and other online stock buyers caused a mass increase in GameStop's overall stock price. As a result, Plotkin and other investment CEOs lost hundreds of millions of dollars within the same time frame. Keith is heralded as a financial guru.

January 2021: GameStop Short Squeeze

In January 2021, the GameStop short squeeze occurred, an event chronicled in the film "Dumb Money."

April 2022: Craig Gillespie Signed as Director

In April 2022, Craig Gillespie signed on as director for the movie "Dumb Money", with the intention of filming to start later that year around summer or fall.

October 2022: Sony Pictures Buys Distribution Rights

In October 2022, Sony Pictures bought distribution rights to the film "Dumb Money" in the United States, Latin America, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, South Africa and select Asian countries including India for $20 million.