Key Takeaways
- • Prime Video has ordered New Money, a half-hour workplace comedy created, written, and starring Mekki Leeper, marking a series commitment from Amazon MGM Studios for a satirical take on private equity culture.
- • The show is based on a self-financed pilot titled Fintech, originally created and directed by Leeper, which was subsequently shopped to buyers with industry executives attached as producers.
- • New Money follows an ensemble cast centered on a trust-fund-backed "nepo-baby" mogul leading New Money Worldwide, a fictional Southern California venture capital firm depicted as incompetent and morally compromised, with comedic focus on reckless investment decisions and upward failure.
- • Creative leadership includes Joe Mande (executive producer and co-showrunner from *Hacks*), Rob Mac, Jackie Cohn, Nick Frenkel of 3 Arts Entertainment, and Olivia Doud of Mosaic, alongside Leeper as creator and star.
- • Leeper brings established credibility as an Emmy-nominated writer on *Jury Duty* and current cast member of NBC's *St. Denis Medical*, lending recognition to the project's production quality and institutional backing.
Summary
Prime Video has greenlit New Money, a satirical half-hour comedy that takes aim at private equity culture through an ensemble workplace narrative. The series, created and starring Mekki Leeper, represents a strategic commission for Amazon MGM Studios into irreverent comedy targeting institutional finance and venture capital industries. The show's premise centers on a trust-fund baby operating New Money Worldwide, described as Southern California's "least successful venture capital firm," where incompetence and moral ambiguity drive comedic narrative around reckless capital deployment.
The project evolved from Leeper's self-financed pilot Fintech, which he both created and directed. This pilot format allowed Leeper to demonstrate the show's comedic vision independently before pitching to major streaming platforms, a development strategy that culminated in the series order from Prime Video. The production brings together established creative talent, including Joe Mande as executive producer and co-showrunner—Mande's credits include *Hacks* and *The Running Point*—alongside producers Rob Mac, Jackie Cohn, Nick Frenkel of 3 Arts Entertainment, and Olivia Doud of Mosaic.
Leeper's career trajectory supports the credibility of this project. He currently stars as Matt in NBC's mockumentary *St. Denis Medical* and previously appeared as juror Noah in Amazon's *Jury Duty*, for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series. His prior television appearances include roles on HBO Max's *The Sex Lives of College Girls*, establishing him as a recognized comedic talent with institutional backing from major networks and streaming platforms.
Peter Friedlander, Head of Global Television at Amazon MGM Studios, characterized the series as reflecting Leeper's "sharp comedic voice" and "original perspective," positioning *New Money* within the broader streaming strategy of smart, irreverent workplace comedy. The project's focus on private equity and venture capital satirizes institutional finance at a moment when such industries remain subjects of public scrutiny and cultural commentary. The ensemble format and emphasis on "failing upwards" suggests thematic exploration of meritocratic myths within wealth-management sectors, appealing to audiences skeptical of institutional competence narratives.
The project evolved from Leeper's self-financed pilot Fintech, which he both created and directed. This pilot format allowed Leeper to demonstrate the show's comedic vision independently before pitching to major streaming platforms, a development strategy that culminated in the series order from Prime Video. The production brings together established creative talent, including Joe Mande as executive producer and co-showrunner—Mande's credits include *Hacks* and *The Running Point*—alongside producers Rob Mac, Jackie Cohn, Nick Frenkel of 3 Arts Entertainment, and Olivia Doud of Mosaic.
Leeper's career trajectory supports the credibility of this project. He currently stars as Matt in NBC's mockumentary *St. Denis Medical* and previously appeared as juror Noah in Amazon's *Jury Duty*, for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series. His prior television appearances include roles on HBO Max's *The Sex Lives of College Girls*, establishing him as a recognized comedic talent with institutional backing from major networks and streaming platforms.
Peter Friedlander, Head of Global Television at Amazon MGM Studios, characterized the series as reflecting Leeper's "sharp comedic voice" and "original perspective," positioning *New Money* within the broader streaming strategy of smart, irreverent workplace comedy. The project's focus on private equity and venture capital satirizes institutional finance at a moment when such industries remain subjects of public scrutiny and cultural commentary. The ensemble format and emphasis on "failing upwards" suggests thematic exploration of meritocratic myths within wealth-management sectors, appealing to audiences skeptical of institutional competence narratives.
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