In a bustling metropolis, a naive and ambitious young man named Norville Barnes lands a mailroom job at a gigantic corporation. The company, Hudsucker Industries, experiences a sudden shock when its CEO, Waring Hudsucker, commits suicide, leading to a vacancy at the top. The sly, manipulative Sidney J. Mussburger, a high-ranking executive, devises a cynical plan to manipulate the company's stock prices for personal gain. To execute his scheme, he appoints the unsuspecting Norville as the new president, believing his incompetence will drive the company into the ground, allowing Mussburger to buy up shares cheaply. Meanwhile, a persistent, fast-talking newspaper reporter named Amy Archer smells a rat and begins investigating the situation.

As Norville takes on his new role with earnest enthusiasm, he unveils an idea—an innovative, seemingly simple product—that he believes will revolutionize the market. Despite initially being mocked, Norville's invention starts to gain traction, creating unexpected results for everyone involved. Archer, disguising herself to get closer to Norville, discovers the true nature of Mussburger's plot and begins to see Norville in a new light. The story then unfolds amidst a backdrop of corporate intrigue, personal ambition, and the quest for redemption, with Norville and Archer's destinies intertwining in unpredictable ways.