@HikariWS said:

I see it's meant to show he got away with it and is applauded as a great person by a ton of ppl.

But what exactly happened?

** SPOILERS **

Here's a summary of the ending: Arbitrage Ending

Did he give the remaining money to his wife?

It's an open ending. The audience has to decide.

If he signs the separation agreement, 'all ownership and voting rights transfer to the Miller Charitable Foundation to be administered by his daughter Brooke Miller'. That includes the money.

If he doesn't sign, his wife won't give him an alibi and she will tell the police all about that night. There will be a new trial and he might be found guilty and go to prison.

tnx!

If I didn't understand it wrong, it's his wife and not daughter who'd own everything. It'd go to Miller Charitable Foundation, which is administered by his wife, who loves to be well seen by society. So, for open society everything would look fine, because he'd be donating everything to the foundation, while behind the scenes he was giving it to his wife.

Thinking about it now, maybe he was being applauded on the party because he had made that donation. If so, he and his family is still loved by society, but he lost his remaining money and his family hates him.

@HikariWS said:

tnx!

If I didn't understand it wrong, it's his wife and not daughter who'd own everything. It'd go to Miller Charitable Foundation, which is administered by his wife, who loves to be well seen by society. So, for open society everything would look fine, because he'd be donating everything to the foundation, while behind the scenes he was giving it to his wife.

Ellen, the wife, said that it would be administered by Brooke. She doesn't handle any of the business, but she might be the one who controls her daughter.

The movie is called "Arbitrage." It's all about making deals.

When he makes the deal with Mayfield, he comes back to ask, "what would you have paid?" After Mayfield answers, he in turns asks "what would you have taken?" They chuckle, and agree, "so, this is a good deal for both of us." As he walks out of the restaurant, he smiles that "I am a winner" smile, but it's cut short by a phone call. He's got another fire to put out.

He figures out how to protect Jimmy. Another win.

Then, his wife drops her bombshell. She's out, this is THE DEAL. Take it and, while you lose control of your business, you stay out of prison, and keep your reputation intact. The Foundation will flourish under your daughter's able management, you set her up, not destroy her. And you can still live a life in society. Don't take it, and you'll go to prison and lose control of everything anyway, your life's work goes down the toilet, and our name is destroyed.

His "little trophy" wife learned a thing or two over the years while putting up with his ego and his bullshit.

There is no winning to not taking it, just blowing all their lives to hell. Selling the company was the only way to save it to begin with, so he was already looking for a way out.

There's no question, no doubt, he took the deal.

Did the "rich white guy" get away with it? Kinda. He killed someone. Sure, it was an accident, but he fled the scene and ubstructed justice covering it up. While he may not do time for it, he did pay for this in a way, as he lost face with his family. His daughter and wife no longer worship him, and the wife sees completely through his facade, there's no image he can project that fools her. In that way, he did not, quite, get away with it.