Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan), a billionaire, is a risky entrepreneur who loves a good challenge. He does some crazy things, such as wrecking an luxury ship and bets $100,000 on a golf stroke just to show he can do whatever he pleases. Crown steals a work of art by Monet valued at $100,000,000. The insurers for the painting unleash an insurance detective named Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) to help the law enforcement solve the theft. From the start, Banning suspects Crown is responsible for the robbery. The complex pursuit that follows gives Crown precisely what he was looking for: a challenge.