Jordan Belfort net worth: How rich is the wolf of Wall Street?
Former stockbroker Jordan Belfort is thought to be worth between $100 million and $134 million. With a background in biology, Belfort is now a motivational speaker and author. Despite his controversial past, Belfort has continued to strive forward. Let’s take a close look at the rise, fall, and return of the Wolf of Wall Street.
Who is Jordan Belfort?
Born on July 9, 1962, in the Bronx, New York City, USA. Jordan Belfort serves as a motivational speaker, entrepreneur, sales trainer, author, former stockbroker, and film producer. Belfort attended American University, where he earned a degree in biology.
He also enrolled in a dental school, but he got out on the first day when the dean of the school gave a speech and said, ‘If you are looking to make a lot of money from dentistry, you are in the wrong place’. Belfort was born into a Jewish family, and his parents were both accountants. Belfort has been married four times and divorced three times. Belfort has two children.
Belfort became a door-to-door meat and seafood salesman on Long Island, New York. The business was an initial success, as he claims in his interviews. He grew the business, and he was able to employ several workers and sell up to 2,300 kilograms of meat and fish per week. In the long run, the business failed and he filed for bankruptcy at the age of 25.
Shortly after filing for bankruptcy, he found a job as a trainee stockbroker at L.F. Rothschild. However, he was laid off after the 1987 Black Monday stock crash. This didn’t stop him, as he continued to work for a few financial firms, where he gained all the experience he needed. Then, in the early 90’s, Belfort founded his own company called Stratton Oakmont, Inc.
What is Jordan Belfort’s net worth in 2024?
Jordan’s Belfort net worth is estimated at between $100 million and $134 million. He accomplished this by being an author, a sales trainer, a financial criminal, an entrepreneur, a motivational speaker, and a former stockbroker.
Belfort began his path to financial success while being a stockbroker. He worked with a few financial firms and then went on to start his firm. Belfort employed more than 1,000 stockbrokers and had over $1 billion under management. However, Belfort was an unethical broker, which got him into trouble with the SEC.
Belfort and his associates were found guilty of using pump-and-dump schemes where they artificially inflated the prices of stocks to sell them at a profit, which left investors with worthless shares. In 1999, Belfort was indicted on charges of securities fraud and money laundering, and in 2003, he was sentenced to four years in prison, but he only served 22 months.
Belfort later had a restitution agreement to pay 50% of his income, which is a total of $110 million. After legal battles, he agreed to pay a minimum of $10,000 per month for life. According to Celebrity Net Worth, they believe Belfort’s current net worth is actually at a negative $100 million because he still owes restitution funds to his former clients.
In light of this, let’s take a look at some of Belfort’s business endeavors after jail time.
Writing and Film Adaptation
In 2007, Belfort published a book titled ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. The book was about his rise and fall on Wall Street. He also wrote ‘Catching the Wolf of Wall Street’. In 2013, director Martin Scorsese produced a movie based on his books, and the earnings from this movie have brought Belfort more than $50 million.
In 2017, Belfort went on to write another book titled ‘Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling: Master the Art of Persuasion, Influence and Success. It is all about the sales technique he used with his team of brokers while operating on Wall Street. In 2023, Belfort released another memoir titled ‘The Wolf of Investing’. It details the ultimate strategy for making money on Wall Street.
Motivational Speaking Career
After his release, Jordan Belfort embarked on a new career path as a motivational speaker. He used his life experiences to teach sales and entrepreneurship skills to others. Through this, Belfort’s net worth saw a 20% growth annually. To book Belfort at a speaking engagement, it’s going to cost you between $30,000 and $75,000.
Cryptocurrency
Belfort is currently an investor in several cryptocurrency start-ups. Although he was never a fan of cryptocurrency, as he learned more about it and saw the prices skyrocket, he had a change of mind. At one point, he even called Bitcoin ‘fricking insanity’.
The bottom line: Belfort remains one of the most controversial figures in Wall Street’s history.
Jordan Belfort is a $100 million-$134 million entrepreneurial phenomenon. From meat sales to founding Stratton Oakmont, he orchestrated a symphony of ambition and vice to build his empire. Beyond business, he is a motivational speaker, author, and film inspiration. Despite his unethical practices that led to financial and legal troubles, Belfort’s relentless drive and versatile talents make him an unforgettable character on Wall Street and beyond. Love him or hate him, Jordan Belfort’s extreme rise, tragic fall, and persistent return make him a wolf for ages.
