A real - estate investor bought multiple properties with a large margin loan. When the property market crashed, the value of the properties dropped significantly. The margin call came, but he had no way to raise the extra cash. As a result, the bank foreclosed on all the properties, leaving him bankrupt and with a severely damaged credit score.
A common element is over - leveraging. People often borrow too much relative to their own capital. When the market moves against them, they can't cover the margin call.
The margin call back story often begins with an investor's over - confidence or miscalculation. They might think the market will keep rising. But then, market conditions change, say due to economic news or industry - specific issues. For instance, in a tech - stock - heavy portfolio, if there is news of new regulations for tech companies, the stock prices could drop. And when that drop is significant enough to violate the margin agreement, the broker will call for more money. It's a story of risk and the consequences of leveraging investments.
Margin Call has elements that draw from actual situations in finance. However, it might have taken some creative liberties to make it more cinematic while still retaining the core essence of the real events.
Margin Call is indeed based on real circumstances that occurred in the finance world. It takes cues from the 2008 financial crisis and similar events to create a compelling narrative.