Jordan Belfort Net Worth

Jordan Belfort, born on July 9, 1962, in the Bronx, New York City, is a well-known motivational speaker. With parents as accountants, it’s no surprise that Belfort knew a great deal about money.

Early Life 

Jordan Belfort grew up in a Jewish family. One of the key moments to remember about Jordan Belfort’s early days is that between high school and college, he worked with a friend to both markets and sell Italian ice out of styrofoam coolers at a nearby beach, bringing in over $20,000. This tells you the type of drive that Jordan Belfort has.

You probably remember hearing his name in The Wolf of Wall Street movie, a box office hit starring Leonardo DiCaprio that was based on his story. It leaves most people wondering what is the Jordan Belfort net worth now? 

What Is Jordan Belfort’s Net Worth?

Belfort had a strong start in life, but he quickly went into shambles in his later years. A combination of penny stock fraud, other charges, and bad business deals left Mr. Belfort in the negative. His current estimated net worth is -$96 million. 

How exactly did Jordan Belfort’s net worth wind up in the negatives? 

He Wanted To Be Rich

From an early age, Jordan simply wanted to be rich. He was accepted into dentistry school but left on the first day of class after a teacher told the class that dentistry school was not a way to get rich. Next, he started his own business delivering meat and seafood door to door. However, this business venture resulted in him going bankrupt. 

Finally, a friend helped Belfort acquire a position at L.F. Rothschild as a trainee stockbroker. It didn’t take him long to realize the insane potential the stock market had, and he finally felt like he was on his way to becoming rich. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the market went into the freefall known as Black Monday. The day that L.F. Rothschild closed their doors in 1987, Belfort found himself once again looking for work. Jordan Belfort’s career as a stockbroker wasn’t dead though.  

This time, he had the skill to match his intense ambition to become rich. He landed a position at The Investors Firm, a smaller investment firm that sold penny stocks. Upon learning that he could make 50% from selling penny stocks, Belfort became a shark in the investment world. He was able to hone his sales pitch to perfection and teach the rest of the salespeople how to sell penny stocks. 

The Stratton Oakmont Firm

Once Belfort realized how easy it was to teach people his sales speech to participate in his penny stock scam, his ambition grew dramatically. In 1988, Jordan Belfort worked with his best friend Danny Porush to start the investment company Stratton Oakmont. He hired over 1,000 employees, teaching them all how to use his proven method of selling penny stocks. It was this that fueled his over-the-top lifestyle. The same lifestyle that ruined his relationship with his now ex-wife Denise Lombardo.

With over $1 billion in assets and a known reputation for bringing in the big bucks, IPOs and famous parties, Stratton Oakmont quickly drew attention to itself. Investigations by federal authorities resulted in money laundering via Swiss banks. 

That wasn’t the only investigation taking place. The National Association of Securities Dealers, a previous organization that was responsible for regulating the NASDAQ stock market and other markets, launched its own investigation. It was this investigation that resulted in Stratton Oakmont being forced to close its doors in the late 90s. 

Money Problems Affected Jordan Belfort’s Net Worth

As a result of investigations about his stock market manipulation, Belfort was charged with money laundering, securities fraud, and fraud. His dealings left investors with heavy losses that totaled $200 million. In addition to his sentence at Taft Correctional Institution, he was required to repay $110 million, but he’s only been able to pay off $14 million so far. 

What Is Jordan Belfort Doing Now?

Now, Belfort has turned his story into another success. He wrote the acclaimed novel Wolf of Wall Street. The best-selling book became a hit movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort. 

This book was followed by Catching the Wolf of Wall Street and another best-selling novel titled Way of the Wolf: Become a Master Closer with Straight Line Selling. 

In addition to becoming a writer, Belfort is also a motivational speaker. He travels most days of the month, delivering motivational speeches for companies. You can also find Belfort on his YouTube channel, listen to his podcast or even reach out to his new company, Global Motivation, Inc. 

As he continues to make money, and he does make money from charging up to $80,000 per speech as well as royalties, he continues to pay off the $96 million that he still owes investors from his Wall Street dealings. 

Wolf Of Wall Street Facts

Although Jordan Belfort is known for scamming investors, there are some fun and interesting things about Belfort. 

• Jordan Belfort made his first million at 26 years old
• The Wolf of Wall Street won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture
• Jordan Belfort’s yacht, a luxury yacht purchased from Coco Chanel, really did sink off the coast of Italy
• His son, Carter Belfort, works for Straight Line Solutions
• Belfort did not own the same sports cars pictured in the movie 

What Does The Future Look Like For Jordan Belfort?

At 60 years old, it’s unlikely that Belfort will make drastic changes to his life. He will continue to put his time into Global Motivation now that he has branded himself as a motivational speaker. It’s unlikely he’ll ever be free of the restitution that he owes from the glory days of Stratton Oakmont. 

Jordan Belfort’s back to living large once again. You won’t see Jordan Belfort spend millions on a famous yacht, but he’s not homeless either. He never quits, and that’s something that you can’t help but love about him.

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