Jordan Belfort Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Title: Jordan Belfort Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Last Updated: February 2, 2025
What is Jordan Belfort’s Net Worth
Jordan Belfort, known as an American former stockbroker, convicted felon, and author, currently has a net worth of negative $100 million. Although he is often called “the wolf of Wall Street,” as we will discuss in more detail in the following sections, that nickname was never used for him by anyone on Wall Street during his finance career; he actually coined it himself while he was working on his memoir from prison.
From 1989 until 1996, Jordan led the financial firm Stratton Oakmont, which was involved in orchestrating pump-and-dump schemes that cheated hundreds of millions of dollars from thousands of unsuspecting victims. In 1999, both Belfort and his co-founder Danny Porush were indicted for securities fraud and money laundering, leading to their guilty pleas. Their sentences were mitigated in exchange for their cooperation with prosecutors.
The 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese, offered a very loose depiction of Jordan’s life. Some might contend that the filmmakers engaged in ethical malpractice by glamorizing Jordan Belfort. At the very least, the true devastation caused to the victims by Jordan and Stratton Oakmont was not accurately represented. Many victims were everyday individuals who could not afford such financial losses. Furthermore, in a puzzling move, Belfort made a cameo appearance near the film’s conclusion, enhancing his notoriety and facilitating his transition into a motivational speaker role. Conversely, the 2000 film “Boiler Room,” which was similarly inspired by Belfort and Stratton Oakmont, provided a more reasonable portrayal of the repercussions faced by victims of financial pump-and-dump scams.
Restitution
During his scheme of financial deception, Jordan stole around $200 million from 1,513 victims. When he was sentenced in 2003, he was mandated to repay $110 million as restitution. Additionally, he was sentenced to four years in prison, a reduced sentence granted due to his cooperation as an FBI informant, during which he helped incriminate several former partners and associates. Ultimately, he served 22 months and was released in April 2008.
Under the original agreement for his restitution, he was required to pay 50% of his gross earnings to his 1,513 victims. From 2007 to 2009, he contributed $700,000 toward this restitution, while he paid nothing in 2010.
In 2011, Jordan sold the film rights to his two memoirs to Red Granite Pictures for $1.045 million. He received an upfront payment of $940,500, and an additional $250,000 was to be earned in 2012. Presumably, according to his restitution agreement, he should have allocated around $500,000 to his victims in 2011; however, he only paid $21,000 that year. In 2012, the U.S. government compelled Red Granite to remit $125,000 (half of his $250,000 payment) directly to them. His total payment for 2012 amounted to $158,000.
In 2013, the United States government revised his restitution requirements, changing it from 50% of all gross earnings to a minimum payment of $10,000 each month for life.
As of now, Jordan has repaid approximately $13-14 million toward restitution, with the bulk of it (around $11 million) resulting from the sale of property relinquished during sentencing. Consequently, he still owes his victims nearly $100 million.
In 2018, prosecutors brought Jordan back into court concerning the roughly $9 million he earned in speaking fees between 2013 and 2015, alleging that he did not allocate any of this income toward his restitution obligations.
(Photo by David Howells/Corbis via Getty Images)
Invented the “Wolf of Wall Street” Nickname
The 203 film draws loose inspiration from Jordan’s 2007 memoir, which shares the same name, “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Given the titles of both the book and the film, along with Jordan’s frequent reference by that nickname in various interviews and articles, one might think that Jordan was often labeled as “the wolf of Wall Street” during his finance career. This is completely FALSE. In fact, Jordan Belfort was never actually known as “the Wolf of Wall Street” during his days of financial deception.
But how did this nickname originate? Jordan essentially self-appointed that nickname while penning his memoir from jail. Allegations suggest that his cellmate, Tommy Chong from Cheech and Chong, inspired him to write this memoir.
In the film, produced with the looted funds of fugitive Jho Low from the Malaysian government, it is suggested that a Forbes writer conferred the nickname “wolf of Wall Street” in a magazine cover story from 1991. This is untrue. The actual Forbes piece was named, “Steaks, Stocks – What’s the Difference?,” referencing how prior to becoming a stockbroker, Belfort sold steaks and seafood door-to-door on Long Island. Furthermore, the article described Jordan as a “twisted Robin Hood who takes from the rich and gives to himself and his merry band of brokers.” Additionally, it depicted his business model as “pushing dicey stocks on gullible investors.” At no juncture is he referred to as a “wolf.”
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Early Life
Born on July 9, 1962, in The Bronx, New York, Jordan Ross Belfort was raised in a Jewish family in Bayside, Queens. During the summer between high school and college, he and a close friend earned $20,000 by selling Italian ice from coolers to beachgoers. Jordan graduated from American University with a biology degree before enrolling in the dental program at the University of Maryland School, which he left after
On the first day of classes, a faculty member remarked that being a dentist wasn’t a route to wealth.
Career
On Long Island, New York, Belfort sold meat and seafood directly to consumers. His initial one-man operation evolved into a business that employed multiple staff and sold 5,000 pounds of beef and fish on a weekly basis. At the age of 25, he declared bankruptcy and subsequently secured a position as a stockbroker trainee at L.F. Rothschild. It was reported that his initial boss supposedly claimed the secrets to success included masturbation, cocaine, and hookers. Following the 1987 Black Monday stock market crash, he was let go from this firm. Despite this challenge, the allure of earning the same substantial income as senior stockbrokers captivated Belfort. Throughout the late 1980s, he gained experience at various financial institutions, absorbing as much knowledge as possible. He refined his sales pitch and made the decision in 1989 to establish his own firm.
Belfort launched Stratton Oakmont in the early 1990s, focusing on marketing penny stocks in a boiler room environment. He employed a pump-and-dump method to scam his investors. During the peak of Stratton Oakmont’s success, he had over 1,000 stockbrokers and managed assets exceeding $1 billion. However, the National Association of Securities Dealers began investigating Belfort and his firm. The firm’s transactions were under the association’s close watch. Then in December 1996, Stratton Oakmont was expelled from the association, leading to the firm’s closure.
Reportedly, Belfort laundered his profits in Swiss banks, with assistance from his mother-in-law and his wife’s aunt who helped him smuggle the funds into Switzerland. While operating Stratton Oakmont, he is said to have hosted parties that featured midget-tossing contests.
(VAN LONKHUIJSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Motivational Speaking Career
After serving his prison sentence, Belfort rebranded himself as a motivational speaker. He established a company named Global Motivation, Inc., where he dedicated about three weeks each month to traveling and delivering speeches focused on the significance of ethics in business and the lessons learned from past errors. In the 1990s, for instance, he believed he was justified in flouting the regulations set by financial authorities simply because many others were doing the same. Engaging Belfort for a speaking engagement is priced between $30,000 and $75,000, while a sales seminar conducted by him costs upwards of $80,000. Reviews on his speeches have been mixed, with some commentators expressing discontent with his recollections of disregarding financial regulations as he did during the 1990s.
Writing Career
Belfort is the author of the memoirs “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Catching the Wolf of Wall Street,” which have reached publication in around 40 countries and have been translated into 18 languages. The book “The Wolf of Wall Street” was adapted into a film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie, with Martin Scorsese at the helm as director. Additionally, he wrote “Way of the Wolf: Become a Master Closer with Straight Line Selling,” which was published in 2017.
Personal Life
During his tenure at Stratton, Belfort enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle.
and regularly hosted parties. Additionally, he indulged in recreational drugs, with a particular focus on methaqualone, also known as quaaludes. In an interview, his previous head of security, Bo Dietl, mentioned that during his tenure, he never witnessed Belfort in a sober state and disclosed that Belfort had close connections to organized crime.
During the period he was operating Stratton Oakmont, Belfort divorced his first wife, Denise Lombardo, after being married from 1985 to 1991. In 1991, he wed British model Nadine Caridi after they met at a party. Together they have two children, Chandler and Carter. Their separation occurred following her accusations of domestic violence (probably related to drug use), leading to their divorce in 2005. Subsequently, in 2008, Belfort married Anne Koppe, but they divorced in 2020. In 2021, he began a relationship with Cristina Invernizzi.
His prison cellmate, Tommy Chong, encouraged him to pen “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Belfort acquired the luxury yacht Nadine, originally built in 1961 for the renowned designer Coco Chanel, and he renamed it after his second spouse. The yacht sank near Sardinia in June 1996, but the Italian Navy’s Special Forces rescued all individuals aboard. Belfort later confessed that he pushed for sailing the yacht in adverse weather conditions against the captain’s recommendations.
Long Island Mansion
In October 1992, Jordan purchased a 9,000-square-foot mansion for $5.775 million, situated on two acres in Old Brookeville, New York. In 2001, the federal government confiscated the mansion and sold it to reimburse some of Belfort’s fraud victims. The home was sold by the government in March 2001 for $2.53 million. In 2015, it was listed for $4.75 million, and in August 2018, the price was reduced to $2.89 million. Ultimately, it sold in October 2018 for $2.4 million.
Jordan Belfort Net Worth (Money & Salary)
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The data is sourced from 2023 and 2024, while forecast data pertains to 2025 and 2026. We have extended the forecast data to include 2027 and 2028.
* This information was taken from various sources around the world, including these countries:
Australia, Canada, USA, UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, US, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan.
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi.
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Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Metropolitan, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories.
Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy.
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg.
Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar.
Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand (NZ), Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway.
Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe.
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Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK (United Kingdom), USA (United States of America, U.S.), US Minor Outlying Islands.
Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State (Holy See), Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US), Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Post Title: Jordan Belfort Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Last Updated: February 2, 2025