Upamanyu Biswas
In the Netflix comedy-drama show ‘Billionaire Island,‘ two rival companies compete in a battle of wills to determine the world’s leading salmon producer. The show begins when Julie Lange, the head of Marlax, initiates a hostile takeover of Meyer Fjordbruk, owned by Gjert Meyer, causing a corporate war between two disputing families. While the story unfolds against the backdrop of a remote coastal community named Brima, the town’s peace and tranquility are upended by the major forces at play. Both Marlax and Meyer Fjordbruk play a pivotal role in the island municipality, with their massive fish farms dotting the coastal view of the village and providing a glimpse into the cutthroat fishing business. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Marlax and Meyer Fjordbruk are Fictional Companies With Ties to a Real Thriving Industry
Although the events presented in ‘Billionaire Island’ are entirely fictional, the show’s focus on the fish farming industry is based on Norway’s real salmon industry. The companies Marlax and Meyer Fjordbruk are meant to represent that central conceit, even though they are both fictional organizations conceived by Anne Bjørnstad, Levi Dubland, Jadranko Mehic, and Eilif Skodvin. Fishery plays a vital role in Norway’s economy as the country produces a surplus of seafood regularly, which is then exported to other nations as a valuable trade commodity. Therefore, aquaculture practices are widely developed in Norway and have significantly impacted the advancement of sustainable fish farming and its efficacy, which is also reflected in the practices of the two companies.
When developing the series, the creators, Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin, were primarily intrigued by depicting the lives of “salmon billionaires,” a new type of individual who made their fortune through the fishery business. In an interview with Netflix, they stated, “[Billionaire Island] deals with one of the newer marine creatures in Norway: the salmon billionaire. The fish-farming industry has made many Norwegians very rich and … has changed both the Norwegian coast and international food culture. The time feels right for a television drama about the operators in the industry.” The companies of Marlax and Meyer Fjordbruk are a way to capture Norway’s impressive footprint in the maritime business and their overall productivity in salmon production.
Comparisons can be made to numerous Norwegian aquaculture companies and startups like Andfjord Salmon and Bremnes Seashore. The latter is considered one of the country’s leading producers of farmed salmon. This runs parallel to the motivations of Julie Lange and her company, Marlax, in the show. The company head wishes to become the biggest producer of Atlantic salmons in the world, a goal she believes is possible if her company successfully merges with Meyer Fjordbruk. Therefore, it suggests that both Marlax and Meyer Fjordbruk are two of the most prominent organizations in Norway’s fishery world, fictional though they might be. Despite their similarities with other real-life organizations, they are ultimately separate because of their fictional roots.
‘Billionaire Island’ revolves around the tetchy relations between Julie Lange and Gjert Meyer and the rivalry that defines their professional relationship. As such, Marlax’s potential takeover of Meyer Fjordbruk in the show’s beginning provides the perfect factional dispute that defines the narrative moving forward. The show may dive into the rarely-seen world of salmon farming, but at its heart, the two companies play an integral role in defining the ruthless nature of business and the intersectionality between private and professional relationships. Fish farming plays a significant role in that regard, drawing the parameters of the story’s industrial focus, which is zoomed into further through the fictional companies of Marlax and Meyer Fjordbruk.
Read More: Billionaire Island: Are Marlax and Meyer Fjordbruk Based on Real Fishing Companies?
