Dane Cook’s $12 Million Betrayal Comes to Netflix: What to Know About Funny Money

Imagine being the biggest stand-up on the planet and not noticing millions vanishing from your own bank accounts. That’s the stranger-than-fiction story behind Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story, and it’s about to reach a much bigger audience.

Dane Cook: Funny Money

The Story Behind the Headlines

Around 2005 and 2006, Dane Cook was arguably the most commercially successful stand-up alive. His album Retaliation became the best-selling comedy album in decades, and he sold out Madison Square Garden multiple times.

Behind the scenes, his half-brother and business manager, Darryl McCauley, was reportedly taking money from his accounts in large chunks, sometimes $20,000, $50,000 or even $100,000 at once. In 2008, McCauley was charged with embezzling at least $12 million. The scheme surfaced after Cook hired a new business manager.

McCauley and his wife, Erika, pleaded guilty to larceny, embezzlement and other charges, and were ordered to repay $12 million. Cook believes the true figure could be higher. One detail that grabbed headlines is that some of the cash was reportedly stashed in plastic inside pasta sauce containers.

Not All Doom and Gloom

Despite the heavy subject, Cook revisits the ordeal with humor. The film also tries to answer where the money went and what happened to McCauley after his sentence. Cook says finishing it brought a sense of relief and closure, while hinting that more of the story remains untold.

Curious about the comedian? Read about Dane Cook, then browse our Netflix releases and documentary picks on Technosports.

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