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Mortimer and Randolph Duke are billionaires who own one of the largest commodities brokerages in the world.  Callous, competitive, and, above all, greedy, the Duke brothers are guilty of countless instances of unethical, disreputable, and illegal business practices.  They are constantly on the lookout for ways to increase their own wealth and power at the expense of others, and stop at nothing to achieve their ends.  Their most recent scheme involves using inside information gathered by their malevolent agent, Clarence Beeks, to corner the market in frozen concentrated orange juice.

As a pleasant diversion from their capitalist plotting, the Dukes often compete with each other by making cruel wagers involving the lives of their employees.  Unfortunately for Louis Winthorpe III, a particularly tempting bet presents itself one day.  Winthorpe, the CEO of Duke and Duke, has had a black street hustler named Billy Ray Valentine arrested for stealing a briefcase containg the company payroll.  It’s an unfair charge, and Valentine is innocent of anything but having had the misfortune to bump into Winthorpe in front of a snobby club.  However, to Randolph Duke this is a golden opportunity to test his theory that environment counts for more than heredity.  He bets Mortimer that if Winthorpe and Valentine were to change places, the elitist Winthorpe would rapidly turn to a life of crime.  Alternatively, given the proper surroundings and encouragement, the “negro from a bad home” would soon become just as successful in the commodities market as any Ivy League graduate.

The Dukes are rich, and money can make just about anything happen.  The wager is made, and with the reluctant aid of Winthorpe’s butler, Coleman, they strip their wealthy CEO of everything--his job, his home, his money, his limousine, even his fiancee and his self-respect; then they give Valentine everything they’ve taken from Winthorpe.  And that’s when things get complicated . . .

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ASSIGNMENT