For a long time, Netflix and other streaming services threw money at everything they could in order to win the “content war.” Basically, everything got licensed during this period — if you had the right connections and a passable idea, you were more than likely able to get a show that lasted for at least two seasons (looking at you, Is It Cake?).


Now, things are a little calmer, even if the shows Netflix produces today are still pretty awful. But as those glory days of content production fade further into the rearview mirror, some pretty insane stories are emerging from the times of endless cash — for example, the director who used his multi-million dollar production budget to live, laugh, love, and flex.



Back in 2018, Carl Erik Rinsch, director of the absolutely trash movie 47 Ronin, came to both Netflix and Amazon with a few self-produced clips and a pitch: What if humans, but artificial? Off the “strength” of this idea, a bidding war emerged between Netflix and Amazon. Netflix won and proceeded to spend $55 million on the series.



Where is this series, you ask? Well, it never got made — and the director allegedly used all the money to buy stocks, cars and Dogecoin.


According to the New York Times, upon receiving the money, Rinsch turned out to be what folks in the industry call “a d**k” and “crazy.” Local unions in São Paulo, one of the filming locations, said that he was “mistreating the team,” and in Budapest, “Mr. Rinsch went days without sleep and accused his wife of plotting to have him assassinated.”


From here, the Times alleges that Rinsch spent his days taking Vyvanse, asking Netflix for more money (which they gave him), texting people conspiracy theories about how he found a way to map “the coronavirus signal emanating from within the earth,” and then not really making his series. Honestly, it sounds great.



Realizing that he just discovered the infinite money glitch, Rinsch’s spending habits also changed. He took $10.5 million of a $11 million Netflix cash injection and placed it on risky stock market bets (he lost around $6 million in a few weeks). He purchased “five Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari, a $387,630 Vacheron Constantin watch and millions of dollars’ worth of high-end furniture and designer clothing” for a cost of $8.7 million. Hilariously, he also bought a bunch of Dogecoin and sold at its peak, netting himself $27 million. I guess it wasn’t all bad!


Netflix eventually pulled the plug on his passion project, but Rinsch isn’t done with the company yet. According to the Times, he is now demanding more money from the streaming giant, accusing them of owing him “several more payments totaling more than $14 million.” Hey, shooters shoot.


If Netflix is reading this, I think this story would make a great movie. I would be more than happy to direct — but fair warning, I’m planning to go “method.”