Harvey Guillén

It's a form of gambling, but just like in Vegas, the house always wins.

Ponzi schemes inevitably collapse when the pool of new investors runs dry or when too many people try to cash out at once.

In May 1983, there are no cracks in the Billionaire Boys Club.

No one's killed anyone yet, no one's waking up to checks written by murdered men, and there are plenty of potential investors left in the sea.

Joe has been trying to reel a big one in for a while now.

His name's Ron Levin.

He's the type of gay man who appears charming and polished, who always greets you with a smile, but you're kind of worried about what he's saying behind your back.

He's 42 years old and travels around with a gaggle of young gay men.

And even though it's the 80s, he's too wealthy and well-connected for his sexuality to be an obstacle.

He's longtime friends with Muhammad Ali, and he throws massive parties that everyone wants to be at.

They include guests like Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, and Andy Warhol.

The lore is Ron has a 186 IQ.

He's a genius who, after graduating from Harvard, took his $200,000 inheritance and turned it into 25 million.

So you can see why Joe wants to do business with him.

Joe wants access to Ron's resources and assets, but every time they talk, Ron keeps turning Joe down.

But not in a no way.

In a not now way.

In a way that feels like a game.

Because ultimately, Ron respects Joe.

He respects the hustle, which could have something to do with the fact that they're a lot alike.