Biography
Jordan Ross Belfort (born July 9, 1962) is a 62-year-old American motivational speaker, author, businessman, and former stockbroker.
He is known for investment scams conducted through his company, Straton Oakmont.
He pleaded guilty and was convicted of money laundering and other financial crimes, and was sentenced to 22 months in prison.
In 2017, Jordan Belfort published his memoir The Wolf of Wall Street, which was also the title of a 2013 film inspired by his life story.
American businessman
Jordan Belfort |
|
|---|---|
 Jordan Belfort: History, Biography, Photos |
|
| Wiki Events & About Data | |
| Full name: | Jordan Ross Belfort |
| Stage name: | Jordan Belfort |
| Born: | July 9, 1962 (age 62) |
| Place of birth: | Bronx, New York, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Parents: | Max Belfort, Leah Belfort |
| The children: | Carter Belfort and Chandler Belfort |
| Height: | 1.7 minutes |
| Partners: | Cristina Invernizzi |
| Siblings: | Do not have |
| Ex-wife • Spouse: | Denise Lombardo (m. 1985–1991), Nadine Caridi (m. 1991–2005) |
| Job: | Entrepreneur • Author |
| Net worth: | -100 million USD |
Early life
Jordan Ross Belfort was born on July 9, 1962 in the Bronx, New York City.
He was born to Jewish parents, Max Belfort and Leah Belfort, both of whom were accountants.
He grew up in Bayside, Queens, in a middle-class family.
Education
After completing high school, Jordan Belfort graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from American University.
He then applied to study dentistry at the University of Maryland but dropped out before completing his course.
His decision to quit quickly was sparked after the school’s principal told him on his first day, “The golden age of dentistry is over. If you’re here just because you want to make a lot of money, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
Career
Jordan Belfort began his sales journey by making as much as $20,000 with his childhood friend, Elliott Loewenstern, by selling Italian ice from Styrofoam boxes to people at local beaches. He progressed further to running a seafood and meat business in the 80s. When the company closed due to bankruptcy, he began an apprenticeship in the stock market.
Through his experience as a salesman, Jordan Belfort was able to adapt and learn the intricacies of the stock market and officially began selling stocks in 1987. Two years later, he opened his own investment firm, Stratton Oakmont.
Unfortunately, Jordan Belfort and his partner Danny Porush became wealthy after using the infamous “Pump and Dump” method to defraud investors. This process involved artificially inflating the price of stocks and then selling them, leaving the original investors with nothing.
However, he was caught with Nemesis when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigated his company in 1992, leading to his arrest, trial, and conviction. He served four (4) years and later returned $110.4 million to his victims, but he only served 22 months in prison after agreeing to call his co-defendants out.
While in prison, Jordan Belfort shared a cell with Tommy Chong, who advised him to write about his experiences as a stockbroker. He later ventured into public speaking and motivational writing. His main topics included the Straight Line System, which was based on sales advice.
Jordan Belfort traveled the world in 2014/2015 and advised over 50 companies, gaining exposure in leading newspapers such as The New York Times, The London Times, and The Los Angeles Times. His articles have also been published in magazines such as Forbes and Business Week.
In 2007, following Tommy Chong’s advice, Jordan Belfort published his memoir The Wolf of Wall Street. The book revealed his rise and fall in the financial world. He then took on a follow-up project, releasing Catching the Wolf of Wall Street, another memoir that explored his life after his arrest.
Personal life
Jordan Belfort’s scams earned him a lot of money, which led to a lavish lifestyle. First, he bought sports cars, a mansion, and then his involvement in drugs led to many accidents. He once crashed his helicopter in his yard and also sank his luxury yacht.
Jordan Belfort was first married to Denise Lombardo, whom he divorced, and then married Nadine Caridi, a British-born model who grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
The couple met at a party and had two children, Carter Belfort and Chandler Belfort. However, the marriage ended due to domestic violence allegedly committed by his wife. They officially separated in 2005.
Jordan Belfort is currently married to Cristina Invernizzi.
Social media
Notorious stockbroker turned motivational speaker Jordan Belfort is a fan of the social media space. His posts range from inspirational quotes to business advice, especially with the recent advent of cryptocurrencies.
His Instagram account @jordanbelfort has over 1.9 million followers. He also has Twitter accounts @JordanBelfort and Facebook accounts @JordanBelforts. Additionally, Jordan Belfort’s infamous tag Wolf of Wall Street is often displayed on his various social media accounts.
Net worth
Despite his criminal record, the author has managed to make a life for himself as a motivational speaker and writer.
However, because his current career is not enough to pay off his debts, Jordan Belfort’s net worth is in the negative. His net worth is reported to be negative $100 million, meaning he actually owes the money instead of owning it.
