Jordan Belfort
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Full name: Jordan Ross Belfort
Commonly known as the "Wolf of Wall Street"
Birth and Death Dates
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Born on July 9, 1962
Still alive (no death date applicable)
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Nationality: American
Professions:
Stockbroker
Investment Banker
Entrepreneur
Author
Early Life and Background
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Jordan Belfort was born in Queens, New York, to a Jewish family. His father, Max Belfort, was an accountant who struggled with addiction issues, while his mother, Leah Belfort, worked as a secretary. Belfort's early life was marked by financial struggles, which would later influence his drive for success.
Growing up in the suburbs of Long Island, New York, Belfort attended American Heritage School and later graduated from Boston University in 1987 with a degree in business administration. He began his career as a stockbroker on Wall Street, quickly rising through the ranks due to his charisma and sales skills.
Major Accomplishments
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Founder of L.F. Rothschild, Unterberg, Towbin (later sold to E.F. Hutton)
Founded Belfort Group, which later became Stratton Oakmont, a brokerage firm involved in dubious practices
Amassed an estimated $200 million fortune before facing financial and regulatory issuesNotable Works or Actions
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The Wolf of Wall Street (memoir): Published in 2007, the book chronicles Belfort's life as a stockbroker and his experiences on Wall Street.
Film adaptation: In 2013, Martin Scorsese directed a film based on Belfort's memoir, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort. The movie received critical acclaim and shed light on the excesses of Wall Street.Impact and Legacy
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Belfort's life has been marked by both extreme success and catastrophic failures. His actions have had significant consequences for those involved in his business dealings and have contributed to a broader conversation about corporate ethics and accountability.
Belfort pleaded guilty to fraud charges in 1999 and was sentenced to four years in prison, with three years suspended.
* He cooperated with the U.S. Attorney's Office in a larger investigation into Stratton Oakmont, leading to multiple convictions of high-ranking executives and associates.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Jordan Belfort's life serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition, greed, and the consequences of actions that blur the lines between right and wrong. His quotes and anecdotes have been widely shared due to their insight into the darker aspects of human nature and the excesses of the financial world.
While his story is often sensationalized for its lurid details, Belfort's experiences also offer a glimpse into the inner workings of Wall Street during the 1980s and 1990s. His quotes often touch on themes of success, failure, and redemption, making him a compelling figure in both business and popular culture.
As his life story continues to captivate audiences, it serves as a reminder that even the most seemingly successful individuals can struggle with their own demons and ultimately face consequences for their actions.
Quotes by Jordan Belfort (The REAL Wolf of Wall Street)
People don’t buy stock; it gets sold to them. Don’t ever forget that.
I don’t think you’re cut out for this job. You look like a kid, and Wall Street’s no place for kids. It’s a place for killers. A place for mercenaries. So in that sense you’re lucky I’m not the one who does the hiring around here.
95 percent of the time, the common objections are merely ploys on the part of the prospect, who would rather bow out of the sale gracefully than have to look the salesperson in the eye and confront them about their lack of certainty concerning the Three Tens.
You do not want to try to resolve their pain at this point. In fact, if anything, you want to amplify that pain.
Successful people are 100% convinced that they are masters of their own destiny, they’re not creatures of circumstance, they create circumstance, if the circumstances around them suck they change them.
But what was wrong with that? They were drunk on youth, fueled by greed, and higher than kites.
Act as if you’re a wealthy man, rich already, and you will become rich. Act as if you have unmatched confidence, and people will have confidence in you. Act as if you have all the answers, and the answers will come to you.
If you want to be rich, never give up. People tend to give up. If you have persistence, you will come out ahead of most people. More importantly, you will learn. When you do something, you might fail. But that’s not because you’re a failure. It’s because you have not learnt enough. Do it differently each time. One day, you will do it right. Failure is your friend.
If I earn a million dollars a week and the average American earns a thousand dollars a week, then when I spend twenty thousand dollars on something it’s the equivalent of the average American spending twenty dollars on something, right?