Selling Your Soul: Faust on Wall Street, in the Desert, and at Waystar Royco
Power comes at a price. And sometimes, the devil’s wearing a suit.
Every generation has its Faust.
He doesn’t always sign a contract in blood.
Sometimes, he shakes hands in a boardroom.
Sometimes, he cooks meth in an RV.
Sometimes, he just wants his father to look at him like he matters.
We’ve dressed up the devil in different forms:
Gordon Gekko: the prophet of greed.
Gus Fring: the architect of control.
Logan Roy: the godfather of neglect.
Three men — Bud Fox, Walter White, and Kendall Roy — each stepped into a deal that promised everything.
But the cost? Everything that made them human.
Act I: The Offer
What They Wanted. What the Devil Looked Like.
- Bud Fox wanted to escape anonymity and climb the ranks.
- Walter White wanted to matter — to control something, anything.
- Kendall Roy wanted the crown — and his father's love.
Their devils weren’t monsters. They were mentors:
- Gordon Gekko gave Bud access to power.
- Gus Fring offered Walt a clean empire built on precision and fear.
- Logan Roy dangled approval like bait on a hook.
“The devil didn’t show up with horns. He showed up in a corner office. In a chicken restaurant. In a penthouse suite.”
When the offer came, they didn’t scream.
They just whispered yes.
Act II: The Descent
What They Gave Up. How They Changed.
- Bud betrays his working-class roots and becomes a Gekko clone.
- Walt sheds his decency and becomes Heisenberg — cold, calculating, and proud.
- Kendall throws his siblings under the bus, spirals in addiction, and keeps chasing love through dominance.
“They got what they wanted. And lost who they were.”
They didn’t fall.
They evolved — into something unrecognizable.
Act III: The Reckoning
What Was Left of Them.
- Bud ends up in handcuffs — telling the truth for the first time.
- Walter dies alone in a lab, surrounded by everything he built and everyone he destroyed.
- Kendall floats on the water, stripped of power, title, and meaning.
“The devil never lies. He just gives you what you asked for.”
Final Reflection
We don’t watch these stories for the fall.
We watch for the moment before it —
The temptation. The trade. The illusion of control.
“Success isn’t evil. But the cost we’re willing to pay? That’s the story.”
“You can’t out-negotiate the devil. He’s been doing this longer than you.”