Dirty Sexy Money:

More than a business rival to Tripp Darling, Simon Elder seems to have a personal vendetta against the whole family. Could it have something to do with his parents being deported by the Darlings years ago?

Elder seems obsessed with destroying Tripp and will use any means to get at his rival: be it the frustration of Patrick Darling, an affair with Karen or toying with Nick's desire to learn more about his father's death. In fact such is the evidence that Dutch had collected against Elder that the billionaire might even be the murderer!

Then again Simon Elder does have redeeming qualities. For all his scheming he seems to be a generous billionaire with plans to help orphans and redevelop Manhattan. And we still don't know if Dutch had left the Darling's to go and work for him, so is he that bad after all?