The True Story Of Jordan Belfort: The Real "Wolf of Wall Street" | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The True Story Of Jordan Belfort: The Real "Wolf of Wall Street"

I don't know if I should be disgusted or impressed, but either way, I'm hooked.

10464
The True Story Of Jordan Belfort: The Real "Wolf of Wall Street"
Evening Standard

Drugs, sex and money: essentials to the story of Mr. Jordan Belfort, the man better known as the Wolf of Wall Street. After spending 22 months in prison for stock fraud and money laundering, Belfort wrote of his experiences in a memoir titled “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Following its publication in 2007, Martin Scorsese directed a movie based on the book, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie. Belfort’s story has captivated audiences around the world; the book has sold around one million copies and the movie has made a total of $392,000,694. Although Belfort’s story has fascinated audiences worldwide, he has received a lot of criticism, but not for the reasons you’d think.

In “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Belfort recounts tons of hard-to-believe stories about his extravagant life before he was convicted. The book is riddled with profanity, telling tales of heavy drug use, illegal stock manipulation and vulgar encounters with prostitutes. Belfort’s voice is so strong and his character is absolutely fascinating that it is no wonder the book was an instant success. It is a wonder, though, why Belfort would write about such things, especially now that he has two grown children and enough money to comfortably live out his life without receiving royalties from the book. Within the first few pages, Belfort addresses this, writing, “But what I sincerely hope is that my life serves as a cautionary tale to the rich and poor alike; to anyone who’s living with a spoon up their nose and a bunch of pills dissolving in their stomach sac; or to any person who’s considering taking a God-given gift and misusing it; to anyone who decides to go to the dark side of the force and live a life of unbridled hedonism. And to anyone that thinks there’s anything glamorous about being known as a Wolf of Wall Street.” His voice comes through strong in this passage, convincing readers that he is a changed man. It is clear that Belfort was born to sell, but critics aren't buying.

Joel Cohen, one of the federal agents who prosecuted Belfort, has a lot to say in his article written for the New York Times titled "The Real Belfort Story Missing from 'Wolf' Movie." Cohen calls Belfort out on inventing a lot of the story he has told in the book, specifically, his refusal to cooperate with agents. Belfort depicts himself as a stubborn, willful man who values loyalty above all, but Cohen writes, "When their days of reckoning came, Mr. Belfort and Mr. Porush [Belfort's business partner] didn’t stand up against law enforcement, but rather caved, quickly agreeing to cooperate against virtually everyone close to them."

Cohen also mentions that Belfort fabricated his nickname as "The Wolf of Wall Street" and was not as revered by his employees as he claims. In both the book and the movie, Belfort claims that Forbes magazine wrote an article wherein he is described as a "twisted Robin Hood who takes from the rich and gives to himself and his merry band of brokers" and is given the nickname "The Wolf of Wall Street." Although Roula Khalaf, the writer of the infamous article, did describe Belfort as such, she did not coin the Wolf nickname; that was Belfort's own doing.


Along with coining his own nickname, Belfort's former business partner, Danny Porush, portrayed by Jonah Hill in the movie, claims that a lot of the stories are fabricated. For example, Belfort mentions that he and Porush simultaneously had sex with a 17-year-old employee of Stratton Oakmont (the firm Belfort and Porush ran together). While Belfort stands behind his claim, Porush says, "I'm not homophobic, but I never had sex with a girl with another guy. I've been with a zillion women, several women at the same time — but only just with women ... Also, never any minors."

There are other parts of the movie and the book that Porush saysnever happened such as hiring dwarfs to throw at a dart board and parading a monkey through the office on rollerblades, however, he did admit to eating one of the broker's pet goldfish, so you can decide for yourself who to believe.

Whether or not these stories are true, they are fascinating, nonetheless. Belfort currently lives in Los Angeles, California and manages his own company which provides sales training aimed at building wealth. He calls his program "Straight Line Persuasion" and it is available for purchase on his websitefor just under $2,000. Along with selling his program, he books motivational speeches around the world. Critics say that Jordan Belfort is nothing but a liar and his "changed-man" persona is just an act, but it cannot be denied that he is a great salesman, and an even better story-teller.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
10 things that happen the second Thanksgiving is over
reference.com

To those who celebrate, you just spent an entire day cooking an elaborate meal with all of your favorite foods. You probably ate your body weight in pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes. What happens now? Oh yea, Christmas. It’s time to take out all of the decorations and Christmas themed things that have been sitting in the attic since last year; it’s time to make a reappearance. So, here are 10 things that happen the second Thanksgiving is over.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

18 Things I Want To Do Now That I'm 18

I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

2617
Happy Birthday Cake

For the entirety of my high school career, I was always seen as the goody-two-shoes. I never got in trouble with a teacher, I kept stellar grades, and when I wasn't doing extracurricular activities, I was at home studying. Even when I did go out, it was usually with a bunch of fellow band geeks. The night would end before 11:00 PM and the only controversial activity would be a fight based on who unfairly won a round of Apples-to-Apples when someone else clearly had a better card (I promise I'm not still holding a grudge).

Now that I'm officially an adult, I want to pursue some new things. I want to experience life in a way that I never allowed myself to do prior to entering college. These are the years that I'm supposed to embark on a journey of self-discovery, so what better way to do that than to create a bucket list?

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1556
10 Life Lessons from Christmas Classics
Flickr

The holiday season is full of stress, debt, and forced conversation. While we rush through the month of December, it's important to take a step back and enjoy the moments before they're gone. Most families love to watch Christmas movies, but these beloved films provide more than entertainment. Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned from the holiday classics we watch every year.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

200814
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

21282
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments