Essay Questions

Why would people trust their money in the hands of Jordan Belfort and his fellow degenerates at Stratton Oakmont?

It would be foolish to think that those in the Wall Street world did not know about the rampant corruption and morally repugnant behaviors that went on at Stratton Oakmont. However, their number one goal is to make money at any cost,

The public, on the other hand, likely did not know about the bad behavior going on at Belfort's firm. If they did not know about the behavior, then they would not have a reason to pull their money from Stratton Oakmont. Essentially, since they saw returns and heard nothing about the firm's behaviors, customers had no reason to stop using the firm.

Why does Jordan smuggle a lot of his money into Swiss banks?

After he illegally made over $20 million on the Steve Madden IPO, thus getting the attention of the FBI. Fearing his assets would be taken by the FBI because of fraud and other shady practices, Belfort went to Switzerland to hide his money. He put the money in the name of one of his wife's relatives (who was a British citizen, ensuring the American authorities could not take the money). Essentially, he put a lot of his money into Swiss banks to safeguard it in the event of his -- or his business partners -- arrest.

What inspired Martin Scorsese to adapt Jordan Belfort's memoir into a film?

Martin Scorsese was drawn to the extraordinary tale of Jordan Belfort's rise and fall in the world of finance. He saw in Belfort's story a reflection of larger societal issues concerning greed, corruption, and the pursuit of wealth at any cost. Additionally, Scorsese was intrigued by the opportunity to explore the darker aspects of human nature and the consequences of unchecked ambition.