Where did the money come from
Why did his friend wait until the last minute to invest over $800K to save the business? Was he able and willing to do that all along?
shareJust a guess, but:
1. It wouldn't be all that unusual for a successful small business owner in NYC to be able to pull together a credit line of $800k.
2. Don't forget Maureen (the wife) walked in with Bill during the auction, and her sister had some bucks, as she conspicuously mentioned late in the film. I got the feeling before any of them said a word, right when they walked in, that there might have been some pooling of money, and that's why they were there.
3. While it would have been very possible for somebody like Bill--or Bill and Maureen and whoever else together--to raise the money (remember, only 10% was due that day), it wouldn't necessarily happen instantly, and it would have been a big decision, requiring much sticking out of necks and all that. So there's really no reason to read it as a situation where Bill knew all along he could bail out the business.
Quite a moment, that bid, and I thought it was both realistic and untelegraphed--just happened, like good things occasionally happen in real life, without a lot of fanfare. Good friends ask you how it went and give you a shoulder if it was rough. Great friends show up and bid.