Profile
Jordan Belfort, born on July 9, 1962, in the Bronx, New York, is an American author, motivational speaker, and former stockbroker. Raised in a Jewish family in Bayside, Queens, he exhibited entrepreneurial talent early on, earning $20,000 by selling Italian ice at a local beach during his teenage years.
Belfort graduated from American University with a degree in biology and briefly attended the University of Maryland School of Dentistry before leaving after being discouraged by the dean’s outlook on the profession’s financial prospects.
In the late 1980s, Belfort founded Stratton Oakmont, a brokerage firm that became infamous for its “pump and dump” schemes, defrauding investors of approximately $200 million. His extravagant lifestyle during this period was marked by lavish parties and heavy drug use, particularly methaqualone (Quaaludes).
In 1999, Belfort pleaded guilty to securities fraud and money laundering, resulting in a four-year prison sentence, of which he served 22 months. During his incarceration, he began writing his memoir, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” which was published in 2007 and later adapted into a 2013 film directed by Martin Scorsese, with Leonardo DiCaprio portraying Belfort.
Since his release, Belfort has reinvented himself as a motivational speaker and author, sharing insights on sales techniques and the consequences of unethical behavior. Despite his criminal past, he has amassed a significant following, though his net worth is subject to speculation due to ongoing restitution obligations.
Belfort’s ego and confidence are evident in his statements, such as:
“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.”
“Act as if! Act as if you’re a wealthy man, rich already, and then you’ll surely become rich.”
These quotes reflect his persuasive prowess and self-assured demeanor, traits that both propelled his initial success and contributed to his downfall.
X post:
My name is Jordan Belfort. I’m a former member of the middle class raised by two accountants in a tiny apartment in Bayside, Queens. The year I turned 26, as the head of my own brokerage firm, I made $49 million, which really pissed me off because it was 3 shy of a million a week pic.twitter.com/5LlB8fpWp9
— Jordan Belfort (@wolfofwallst) August 19, 2021
