Characters / Margin Call

Characters featured in the 2011 film Margin Call.

Sam Rogers

Portrayed By: Kevin Spacey

A senior executive at an unnamed investment firm in New York City, who reluctantly supports his superior's plans to initiate a "fire sale" to get rid of toxic assets the firm is holding onto.

• Amicable Exes: With his ex-wife, as shown at the end of the film. That being said, she barely tolerates his presence (only allowing him to bury their dog there) and tells him to get off the property the moment he's done, as the house was given to her in the divorce.
• Deal with the Devil: He makes it very clear in front of Tuld and others that he's extremely concerned about the damage that initiating the fire sale will do to the firm's reputation. Nevertheless, he's effectively bribed into going along with it by Tuld, then finds himself forced into staying on with the firm even after offering his resignation because he still really needs the money.
• Experienced Protagonist: More than once, Sam emphasizes (for both the benefit of other employees and, at the end, Tuld) that "I've been with this firm 34 years," and that he's seen a lot in that time, which is fueling his My God, What Have I Done? mentality as the events of the film continue.
• Glasses Pull: Used as Rule of Symbolism — any time they're on, he's toeing the company line, without hesitation. When the glasses come off, he's more unguarded and willing to speak more candidly, such as in the opening sequence and when he delivers the speech to the traders prior to the fire sale.
• Irony: His Establishing Character Moment has him sitting in his office alone, crying, after having just fired a large portion of the traders on his floor. When Emerson arrives after the others have been let go and comments on Sam (having just done a Glasses Pull) crying over the ex-employees, the latter reveals that he's crying over his dog instead. Moments later, he turns on the charm and delivers a seemingly-rehearsed Rousing Speech (complete with deliberate "inspirational" acknowledgement to no one in particular) where he attempts to motivate the other traders on the floor.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Lapses into this mode once he realizes that he's been bribed into helping the firm liquidate all its toxic assets, and functionally tank their reputation in the marketplace, leading him to (attempt to) quit. To note, Tuld throws this mentality back at him when he points out that Sam's done plenty in the past that has been just as morally grey, and that this isn't the time to start feeling sorry for himself.
• Only in It for the Money: By the film's end, he goes to tender his resignation to Tuld at dinnertime, fully intent on getting out because he can't stomach the damage the fire sale has done to his reputation. After a speech from Tuld about the history of such financial market disasters, Sam agrees to stay on an extra 24 months because:
  Sam: It's hard to believe, after all these years, but... I need the money.
• Plausible Deniability: When Cohen and Robertson attempt to keep him in the room to hear a charged conversation going on between both of them, Sam refuses to listen and walk out, claiming he will not listen to sensitive matters.
  Rogers: How do you think I've worked here for so long?
• Rousing Speech: Subverted; he is shown doing this twice in the film, but both times, it's made abundantly clear that his mind is elsewhere (the first has him being overly optimistic after crying about his dog moments earlier; the second has him motivating the traders to execute the fire sale by using cold, clinical corporate-speak until near the end), and his mannerisms during these speeches come across as rote and rehearsed, i.e. his random finger-pointing at no one in particular.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Subverted. The "fire sale" itself leads Sam to have a crisis of conscience, and he goes to meet Tuld to tell him he wants no part of the investment market anymore. Tuld, after pointing out that Sam has done plenty of immoral acts over the years to succeed, and that a fire-sale doesn't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. When Tuld asks him to stay on for an extra 24 months, Sam replies that he'll do so for the money.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: Despite his generally-cold, clinical attitude towards the firings and his toeing of the company line, he makes it crystal-clear to Tuld and Cohen that the traders on the floor are going to be collateral damage in the financial crisis, and that they deserve heavy compensation for the damage they're about to do to their own careers. In response to Sam's suggestion, as both compensation and severance, any trader who gets rid of 93% or more of the toxic assets they're assigned will receive a bonus of 1.4 million dollars and the same, each, if the entire floor reaches that target. Judging by Cohen's demeanour towards Sam at the closing bell, it is likely that the floor succeeded.

Peter Sullivan

Portrayed By: Zachary Quinto

An associate within the Risk Management Department. He's the one who realizes that the company is dangerously over-leveraged and on the brink of failure.

• Field Promotion: As a result of the mass firings that took place throughout the course of the film, and for his own work helping to functionally salvage the company by bringing the matter up to Cohen and Tuld, he's given a promotion by the latter.
• Have You Told Anyone Else?: Much of the early conflict in the film is motivated by Sarah (and Cohen) asking him about how he arrived at his conclusions regarding the dismal financial calculations (mostly because Sarah is trying to shift the blame away from herself since Dale specifically warned her of the over-leveraging a full year before the film's events). The answer is always that Eric Dale started them.
• Intelligence Equals Isolation: His Establishing Character Moment makes it abundantly clear that he prefers to work without distraction, as he's seen ignoring everything else while the mass firings are taking place by having his headphones on. Later on, he stays in all evening to look over the file Dale gave him just before being laid off while his coworkers and new boss go out to nightclubs.
• Layman's Terms: Much of the Info Dump moments are couched in this, as he has to explain the details of the executives' own trade portfolios (and risk models) to them because they're apparently unaware (or never learned) about the inner workings of the firm. This occurs, most notably, in the second board meeting when Tuld asks Sullivan to speak to him "like you would a child" in order to make him feel more at ease.
• My God, What Have I Done?: The third act of the film shows him becoming increasingly despondent about what's going to happen, realizing that he may have led several of his co-workers (including Seth) to be let go due to the imminent fire sale, and leading him to muse aloud that he is thinking of quitting.
• Not Quite the Right Thing: He spends most of the third act grappling with the knowledge of whether he did the right thing bringing Eric's information to the senior partners, and is slightly taken aback when Sam informs him that he hasn't even told his own son. While he seems ready to want to quit by the end of the film, Tuld makes it clear that Sullivan will be promoted for his help bringing the matter to their attention.
• Only in It for the Money: When questioned by Cohen about why he left the field of jet propulsion technology for finance, Sullivan candidly tells the assembled group that the pay is "considerably more attractive".

Will Emerson

Portrayed By: Paul Bettany

Sam's head of trading at the Wall Street investment firm, who helps to rally the other traders when it becomes clear that a fire sale is imminent.

• Green-Eyed Monster: When explaining who Jared is to Peter and Seth, Will notes that young people rocket up the career ladder all the time before bitterly adding that it didn't happen for himself.
• Informed Ability: Subverted. Throughout the majority of the film, the audience doesn't get to see any evidence for why Will is the "king shark" on the trading floor, instead following him after-hours as he flips between cold regard for the economy and concern for his employees. When the trading montage sequence begins, it becomes abundantly clear why Emerson is the best on the floor — despite only hearing his voice, his sharp responses to fellow brokers makes it abundantly clear why he's so good at his job, even though he's only heard for a minute at most.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: On the surface, he appears to be a flippant, unrepentant trader who cares little about anyone or anything except himself. As the film goes on, however, it becomes clear that he is far more forgiving and respectful to those around him than he seems. During a conversation with Seth, he comments that a not-insignifcant portion of his income ($150,000 a year) goes towards making sure his parents are looked after, and he tries to advise Seth, Sam and others on how to look out for themselves regarding the coming crash.
• Seen It All: He outright tells Peter and Seth that he's seen things at the firm that would make them turn pale, which is why the concept of the fire sale is not a surprise to him (beyond his initial shock at learning how quickly the firm will have to move once everyone is notified). When Sam delivers his Rousing Speech to the brokers at the end of the film, Emerson is shown staring off into space with his eyes glazed over, indicating that it's nothing new for him.
• True Companions: It's implied that Dale is his only real friend at the firm, as when the latter is fired, Will is the one to console (and even hug) him before he's led out by security. Later on, Will is expressly sent to find Dale because he's the only "friendly face" the latter will respond to.

Jared Cohen

Portrayed By: Simon Baker

A division head who seeks to minimize the fallout from the firm's fire sale, as he comes to realize the extent of what they'll have to do to survive.

• The Ace: Will explains that Jared is a killer to sped his way up the career ladder and is now in charge of people like Sam despite being much younger.
• Brutal Honesty: He's the first person in the firm to suggest that they sell all of their toxic assets in one day, even getting into an argument with Sam about it, as he (correctly) realizes that failing to act will mean the entire company will implode once word gets out regarding the overleveraging on Wall Street.
• The Dragon: He's Tuld's second-in-command — a ruthless division head who has no qualms about taking drastic steps to protect the firm, or make difficult decisions with no emotion whatsoever.
• Dull Surprise: He's ultimately the first one at the firm to realize the only way they'll be able to survive the coming turbulence on Wall Street is to get rid of all the firm's toxic assets... and expresses this concern with a calm, otherwise-unbothered demeanor. The closest he comes to showing actual emotion is when he demands to know the time twice so that he can rally the board (including Tuld) to firm up their strategy.
• Jerkass Has a Point: He's ultimately a corporate shark who isn't phased by threats against his job (by Robertson) or the extent of which the firm will have to act to survive, but he's also correct in pointing out that if they do nothing, there won't be a firm, and he is fully aware that others will quickly come to the same realization and act accordingly — and in any case, reputation would not exactly be worth much.
• Lack of Empathy:
  • It's clear from his body language and speeches that he's utterly ruthless in his way of thinking, as explained by Emerson ("The kid's a killer."). He's the first to suggest that the firm offload its toxic assets, knowing what it's going to do to their own traders and the market as a whole, with a flat, detached tone. Later on, when he finds Seth crying in the bathroom alone (the latter having been informed by Will that he'll probably be fired), and Seth tells him it's "all he ever wanted to do," Cohen barely gives him a glance, then keeps shaving.
  • Towards the end of the film, after the fire sale is completed, he coldly informs Sam that firings will begin shortly for several employees, as they no longer serve any purpose at the company. This is what motivates Sam to confront Tuld over his own role in the sale.
• Man of Wealth and Taste: He's the one to push for the company to unload toxic assets, which would crash the financial markets in the process. He's also the most visibly refined character in the film, dressed in an impeccable, expensive suit, wearing a pricey watch, and even shaving with a razor affixed to a $200 wooden handle.
• Older Than They Look: Several characters comment on the fact that he looks very young for his job role (with Seth expressly pointing out that he looks like he's "15"), with even Emerson referring to him as a "kid". Despite that, he's stated towards the end of the film to be 43 years old. (Simon Baker was 42 when the film came out.)
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The only time in the film where he is at a loss for words (and expressly occurs after he's told the rest of the group going into the meeting not to lie or obfuscate the truth) is when Tuld directly asks what they should do. Cohen's lack of a response leads Tuld to dress him down in front of the meeting participants before the latter drops a Wham Line:
  Cohen: Sell it all. Today.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: It becomes increasingly clear that he doesn't think too highly of Sam (particularly after they have an argument that escalates to profanity in front of Peter and Seth), and he nonchalantly offers Emerson Sam's job if the former doesn't go along with the fire sale, but they ultimately execute the plan flawlessly, leading Cohen to begrudgingly congratulate him at the end of the trading day.

John Tuld

Portrayed By: Jeremy Irons

The CEO of the unnamed Wall Street investment firm that many of the main characters work at, who is apprised of the rapidly-deteriorating situation in the market and decides to take drastic steps to ensure the firm survives.

• Adaptation Name Change: He's a thinly-veiled renaming of Lehman Brothers CEO Richard Fuld, who was dramatized in another "Wall Street in 2008" film that came around around the same time, Too Big to Fail. However, the CEO in this film has far less Jerkass-like behavior than his real-world counterpart, as he's ruthless but accommodating to his employees, particularly Sam (his Morality Pet).
• Affably Evil: Make no mistake — Tuld is extremely ruthless, willing to functionally destroy the company's reputation and the careers of many (if not most) of the traders in order to make it through the imminent chaos unscathed. However, he's extremely likable, knows how to put people at ease when the situation (i.e. a highly-charged overnight board meeting) necessitates it, and he's extremely gracious to certain members of the firm, despite having little apparent reason to be.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: His core philosophy, as expressed throughout the film:
  • When Sam meets with him in private and raises concerns that the fire sale will destroy their reputation, Tuld says that it will be the first of several problems he'll have to deal with throughout the week, and to let him handle the fallout.
  • At the end of the film, he is sitting in the top-floor restaurant of the building the firm is located in, comfortably eating a steak dinner (compared to Sam, who's sick to his stomach and trying to quit over his guilt regarding the situation). Tuld pointedly tells Rogers that what happened is no different from a variety of fire sales and market crashes that have happened throughout the last several hundred years, even stating all of them by year to demonstrate how comparatively common it is. He also implies that he lost far more in 1987 ("Black Monday") than he did during the events of the film's storyline.
• Karma Houdini: Despite the hit to the company's reputation on Wall Street, Tuld gets away scot-free, retaining his position as CEO and feeling better about the whole operation, while only one of the executives responsible for the catastrophe is fired as The Scapegoat for the company's failings. It's left to the floor traders to take the majority of the fall. Directly foreshadowed by Emerson earlier in the film, where he points out that no matter what happens, Tuld being first out of the gate isn't going to cause him to lose money.
• Morality Pet: Sam seems to be this for him, as he's one of the few (if not only) employees who can get away with directly challenging the latter's plans in person, even having a brief shouting match with each other in front of the board without either losing faith in one another.
• No-Nonsense Nemesis: Tuld is this in spades especially to the more ethically upstanding Sam. He's relentlessly pragmatic in initiating a market crash.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Despite telling a collection of the firm's top brass that "it wasn't brains that got me here", and him asking Sullivan to speak to him "like a child", he is far more astute and aware of the developing situation in the market than he lets on, and ultimately makes the final decision to offload all of the firm's toxic assets before they lose everything — a daring strategy that he sticks to, despite concern from many others.
• Pragmatic Villainy: He ultimately approves the fire sale, despite being raked over the coals by Sam about it, due to the fact that he realizes that waiting any longer will mean that the firm goes under, and that he has no problem offloading toxic assets "to willing buyers, same as we always have" if it means taking a wash (to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars) if it means "we may yet survive!" Tellingly, after the sale is completed, his complete lack of emotion and calm demeanor (shown while he's enjoying a steak dinner with no hesitation whatsoever) is juxtaposed with Sam trying to quit the firm.
• Take a Third Option: The crux of the film revolves around his decision to initiate a fire sale, as the magnitude of the looming financial crash is so great that, coupled with the risks of one of their competitors figuring it out before they do (and that he's not willing to cheat, nor presumes that the firm is smart enough to wait to better analyze the information), there's only one option available and it must be executed instantly.
  Tuld: There are three ways to make a living in this business; be first, be smarter, or cheat. Now, I don't cheat. And, although I like to think we have some pretty smart people in this building, it sure is a hell of a lot easier to just be first.
• Tranquil Fury: When Robertson tries to pipe up regarding how Dale's information was missed during the first meeting with the top brass, Tuld gives her a sharp glare, indicating that he's well-aware that she is the one to blame for the screw-up. A few hours later, she's unceremoniously told she's being let go and confined to a room for several hours with Dale.
• The Unfettered: He is utterly ruthless and committed to a singular vision, even when it becomes clear that the decision (seemingly made over a span of just a few hours) will radically impact his company's reputation on the stock market, if not outright destroy it. It's notable that in his final scene, he's shown casually enjoying a steak dinner after the fire sale and nonchalantly tells Sam that he "feels better" about the whole thing, because it will all be water under the bridge soon enough.

Eric Dale

Portrayed By: Stanley Tucci

The firm's head of risk management, whose firing provides the impetus for the events of the film to play out.

• Cardboard Box of Unemployment: Ends up wielding one of these in the film's opening, when he's unceremoniously fired and escorted out of the building by security after he cleans out his office.
• Ignored Expert: Judging by a handful of references, it's made clear that Dale was aware of what was going to happen to the firm a year beforehand (that it had over-leveraged its holdings), and tried to warn Robertson about it, only to be fired and given a Cardboard Box of Unemployment for his efforts. In the end, he's eventually proven to be right in his estimations, though Sullivan does state that Dale's program was missing a few key algorithms that he added in for the final report.
• Good with Numbers: Most of the film shows him rapidly calculating numbers in his head when he's talking to other employees of the firm, such as the amount of time he saved pedestrians travelling over a bridge he helped design, or the amount of money he's making sitting in a room while the firm conducts the fire sale.
• Honor Before Reason: He toys with the idea of refusing to come into the office and keeping quiet during the fire sale due to how he was ignored and unceremoniously fired. Will convinces him not to stand on principle in this regard, as the firm would screw him over his severance and benefits if he does — better to swallow his pride and accept the huge payday on offer.
• Humiliation Conga: The film begins with him being unceremoniously fired by corporate, and undergoing this treatment, as he is marched out of the building, and the woman who directly instigated his firing (Sarah Robertson) trying to ignore him when he tries to talk to her.
• An Offer You Can't Refuse: He's pulled in by The Fixer, Carmelo, and told that he will be paid more than $176,000 per hour if he sits in a room and doesn't contact or call anyone, under threat of making his professional life a living hell for the next two years by going after his stock options and other holdings. Given his current financial situation (children in private school and an expensive home to pay off), he takes the money.
• Right Hand Versus Left Hand: Much of the conflict in the film is motivated by the firm being unable to find him after they turned off his corporate cellphone. Even attempts to call his wife prove fruitless until the next morning, when they find him walking back home at sunrise.

Seth Bregman

Portrayed By: Penn Badgley

A risk management analyst at the firm who is one of the first employees to realize the scope of what Sullivan's research has discovered.

• Discreet Drink Disposal: Seth covertly gets rid of the bottle of liquor he was carrying in a brown paper bag just before the meeting with Cohen by discreetly placing it in a cubicle while everyone's back is turned.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: He survived multiple rounds of firings at the firm, makes a quarter-million each year, and is fortunate enough to sit in on a high-level meeting with several senior executives, but it becomes clear that the firm thinks very little of him. To note, he matters so little to the first board meeting that Cohen outwardly says aloud, "What the fuck is his name?" just before he sends Seth off. Later on, when he asks Emerson whether he's going to get fired, the latter responds in the affirmative, but tells him to look on the bright side anyway. It's heavily implied that he was, indeed, fired in the ensuing layoffs at the closing bell.
• Naïve Newcomer: He's very green about much of the ins-and-outs at the firm, and spends much of his runtime wondering aloud about how much the other employees make at the firm. As such, he's completely flippant about what's happening at the firm until the third act, when he finally realizes he's about to be collateral damage in the fire sale.
• Running Gagged: He spends much of his screentime wondering aloud about how much several executives at the company make... until Sullivan finally tells him to knock it off.
• Tag Along Kid: He's the most junior member of the company seen during the movie, simply because he happened to be present when Sullivan reveals the extent of the crisis. Besides being able to confirm that Peter´s numbers are right when Will asks, he has very little influence over the plot.
• Tempting Fate: He outright states that he's not convinced of Cohen's leadership qualities, as the latter looks far younger than he actually is, with Emerson even warning him not to antagonize Cohen (referring to him as a "killer"). Towards the end of the film, he's informed by Will that he's going to get fired, and his one chance to make an overture to Cohen falls on deaf ears.
• Wardrobe Flaw of Characterization: He's conspicuous by being the only male character to not don a tie and do up with collar throughout the course of the film, even when attending a meeting with John Tuld and the senior partners. Combined with his tendency to blurt out snide comments and bring up trivial topics, this highlights his inability to read the room, shows that he doesn't belong, and singles him out as someone who won't survive the next round of layoffs.

Sarah Robertson

Portrayed By: Demi Moore

The firm's chief risk management officer. She knew a crash was coming but didn't take any meaningful action before Peter Sullivan figures it out.

• Boisterous Weakling: She tries to threaten Cohen by telling him that if he tries to force her out, she'll take him with her — to which Cohen scoffs. In the end, she's forced to be senior management's scapegoat and has to impotently spend a day locked in a room, with no idea if the company will screw her over her exit package. Largely justified, because it's strongly implied that she had Eric Dale fired after he warned her a year before that their holdings were over-leveraged; firing him would let her claim ignorance and try to avoid becoming the scapegoat.
• Break the Haughty: The first third of the film implies that she's a ruthless director of risk management who knows how to play the game and stand up for herself (even if it means throwing other people under the bus). This gets dropped completely once it ultimately becomes clear that she was to blame for Dale's firing, and after Tuld tells her that she's going to become The Scapegoat, she spends the next several hours moping to herself before she's confined to a room and told to wait to find out about her severance package.
• Did Not Think This Through: It's ultimately her machinations that lead to Dale being fired, and her coldly disregarding him outside the office after he's forced out of the building... which comes back to bite her (and the firm) in the ass when the firm realizes Dale had crucial information, and that she was very much aware of his program and tried to downplay her role when questioned about it by Cohen.
• Family Versus Career: The final scene she appears in heavily implies that she's sacrificed any chance at a family for her career, given that she responds to Dale's comments (about him being alright because he has a wife and children to go back to at the end of the day) with a long silence. This, coupled with her lack of a wedding ring and comment about hoping that the severance package they give her will be good, suggests that she is unable to start a family.
• Head-in-the-Sand Management: Much of Sarah's actions in the first board meeting involve (ineffectually) trying to stonewall Cohen by asking for several weeks to analyze the numbers Dale (and Sullivan) have put together, effectively trying to move the goalposts so that her part in the fiasco will be forgotten about. Cohen, having none of that, rallies Tuld and the rest of the board to initiate an extreme course of action.
• Humiliation Conga / Laser-Guided Karma: It becomes clear, from the moment Cohen meets her prior to Tuld's arrival, that she's done for at the firm, particularly as she's ultimately the one who had Dale fired and his phone turned off, making it much more difficult for the firm to locate him. Tuld's reaction towards her in the subsequent meeting carries the tone of Tranquil Fury. She ultimately becomes the "fallguy" for the firm's decision not to act on Dale's program sooner, and her final scene has her contemplating the consequences of her focus on her career while hoping that she gets a decent severance package.
• Never My Fault: Her actions throughout the film suggest that she was absolutely made aware of what was bound to happen in the market by Dale, and had (according to her, in private) passed that message up the chain.^note A blink-and-you-miss-it moment has Sam tell Sarah that the same concerns in Dale's program were brought up a year beforehand and were never acted on, before Cohen tells him to shut up, ostensibly so he doesn't blab about it to the junior traders. The plot of the film is motivated by her firing Eric in order to get him out of the way, since (with him gone) she could try to claim ignorance. This backfires when Sullivan (who was given the program by Dale and realized the truth) took it up the chain to Rogers and Cohen, who immediately realized what had happened, despite Sarah's attempts to back out of the blame by implying that the findings are news to her. Sullivan, having none of it, keeps reinforcing that all his findings were simply built on Eric's work...which Sarah knew all about, and Tuld's reaction towards her later in the film implies he's furious at her for withholding the truth.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: She may be based on Erin Callan, Lehman Brothers' CFO, who also passed on concerns about the firm's position from her subordinates, but was forced to take the fall anyway.
• Pet the Dog: In her final scene in the film, she tries to justify what she did to Dale by pointing out that his "message was passed" up the chain, implying she actually did listen to his concerns and send it to the proper recipients. For his part, Dale is ultimately ambivalent (if not forgiving) of what happened.
• The Scapegoat: Sarah is functionally selected by Tuld to take the fall for management's collective screwup, despite her attempts to explain otherwise, with the promise of a better severance package if she complies. It's somewhat justified by her terrible handling of Eric and refusal to adequately bring the matter to the attention of the proper executives, though it's noted that her future career prospects are likely to be bleak.
  Tuld: Sarah, I need a head to feed to the traders on the floor.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: The mass layoffs that open the film, and the daisy-chain of effects caused by Eric Dale's firing, can be traced to her knowledge of the problem Dale was speaking about a year beforehand and her decision to can him to play ignorant regarding his findings. The remainder of the film is spent following the firm as they try to rectify the mistake she made, both in terms of having to liquidate a large part of their holdings to survive and unceremoniously axing her in a bid to "feed a head to the traders on the floor".

Louis Carmelo

Portrayed By: Al Sapienza

A corporate fixer deployed by Tuld to help ensure Eric Dale's cooperation on the day of the fire sale.

• An Offer You Can't Refuse: He convinces Dale to come back (off-screen) by offering more than $176,000 per hour to sit in a room for the majority of the trading day, under threat of legally going after his stock options and health coverage.
• The Fixer: Naturally, given his role as Tuld's personal attack dog. When the latter finds Eric has been dismissed and is incommunicado, he immediately orders Carmelo to find and bring him back, to which the latter responds with a blunt "It's done." He ultimately brings Eric back by more or less paying him three million dollars to sit in a room without speaking a word to anyone outside the company for most of a day.