Belfort is the most controversial businessman of our time and is known for being the founder of Stratton Oakmont, a brokerage firm he founded in 1989 that exists today. Under Belfort’s leadership, the company reportedly made over $100 million a year largely through pumping and dumping penny stocks. While the exact amount Belfort was worth at the peak of Oakmont’s success is unknown, it was in the hundreds of millions. The brokerage firm amassed hundreds of millions in revenue, but a lot of that money went towards paying employees and fueling the lavish lifestyles of Belfort and other execs. Still, Belfort was a very wealthy person during his time running Stratton Oakmont.
After Belfort was charged, regulators targeted him and Stratton Oakmont for substantial fines and penalties. In 2003, Belfort was ordered to pay $110 million in restitution for investors as part of his sentence deal. The SEC and other regulators have collected over $200 million total from Belfort, Stratton brokers, and other related parties. Most fines, restitution, and forfeitures imposed against Belfort have not been paid years later. According to his account, Belfort paid about $14 million in restitution. A court filing from government prosecutors in 2016 claimed Belfort had paid less than $12 million. Belfort has not paid back the large sums formerly ordered by the courts and regulators.
Motivational speaking career
Belfort started a new career as a motivational speaker and wrote two memoirs that were both bestsellers. Belfort proved to be a gifted orator on the speaking circuit, delivering speeches that blended a cautionary tale about his crimes with motivational advice on sales and achieving success. While Belfort has claimed he made his money back legally through motivational speaking, some have doubted how lucrative the career was. His headlines revealed he continued to live a luxurious lifestyle with a $4.9 million property in Manhattan Beach. And reports indicated he was still making six figures per speech. Belfort’s speaking career has generated significant income, even if the specifics remain hazy.
Media and entertainment ventures
The major success of the “Wolf of Wall Street” film added big money to Belfort’s bank account. While settlements over the rights kept some earnings with the government, Belfort still reportedly made more than $1 million off the movie after legal fees. He also received another $250,000 for selling the rights to his memoir Catching the Wolf of Wall Street. Belfort has worked as a sales trainer and consultant for the TV show Billions. Other entertainment ventures have added more income over the years.
While some sites estimate Belfort’s current 2023 net worth as $100 million or more, a better estimate is likely in the range of $20 – $50 million given fines owed and the lack of transparency around his income sources today. Thanks to his second career, he has managed to amass a healthy in-depth look at Jordan Belforts net worth again despite his past. The riches he acquired unethically during the Stratton Oakmont days do not compare with the mountain of riches that he accumulated during that time.