Poverty Inc. (Gary Null film)

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Poverty Inc. is a 2014 American documentary by Gary Null and Valerie Van Cleve. The film argues that the Federal Reserve is a pyramid scheme, similar to institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. It examines the 1913 Federal Reserve Act signed by Woodrow Wilson and the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, claiming these events helped turn Goldman Sachs from a risky betting operation into a government-backed commercial bank. The film portrays the Fed as an unconstitutional lobbying group for banks that prints money out of thin air.

Poverty Inc. runs 112 minutes and is in English. It was released on December 5, 2014.

Critical reception was largely negative. The Village Voice said the film fails to inform or guide and relies on dramatic exclamations. The Los Angeles Times noted it uses many short sound bites from a wide range of figures, sometimes seemingly random. The New York Times described the rhetoric as unpleasant to endure, even for viewers who might agree with the film’s premise.