Jordan Belfort Biography

Fast Facts

• Earned a biology degree from American University after ditching initial plans to attend dental school
• Served 22 months in prison after being convicted of securities fraud and money laundering while a broker at Stratton Oakmont
• Quote: "I got greedy․ Greed is not good․ Ambition is good, passion is good․ Passion prospers․"
• Quote: "[Regarding the restitution he was ordered to pay back to investors] "Once everyone is paid back, believe me, I will feel a lot better․""
• Continues to travel the globe as a motivational speaker, often discussing successful business practices
• Once out of prison in the early 2000s, he would gain notoriety for the popularity of his two memoirs, The Wolf of Wall Street and Catching the Wolf of Wall Street, both of which would serve as inspiration for the 2013 Oscar-nominated film of the same name
• Began his career on Wall Street with L․F․ Rothschild before eventually starting his own brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont in the 1980s
• Became close friends with Tommy Chong while serving his 22-month prison sentence
• His first money-making venture came selling ice cream at the beach while a teenager, a venture that would earn him $20,000