Few five-word strings evoke such strong emotion as <\/span>\u201cThe Wolf of Wall Street.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

For those familiar with the moniker and the man behind it, an opinion\u2014and a strong one at that\u2014is immediately formed in response. There is seldom middle ground when his name arises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One either loves, or loathes, Jordan Belfort.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many loathe his past behavior. Indicted for securities fraud and money laundering in 1999 for his \u2018pump-and-dump\u2019 schemes that led to investor losses of approximately $220M, he served 22 months in prison for the crimes related to his tenure at the helm of Stratton Oakmont\u2014the securities firm he, along with his partners, grew into a $1B enterprise in less than five years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith all seriousness, less than two percent of our activities were illegal,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Jordan recalled.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn hindsight, of course, we shouldn\u2019t have done anything that wasn\u2019t completely above board. What many don\u2019t know, however, is that a lot of our clients did really well, the largest majority of our efforts were completely legal, and we did a ton of beneficial work including helping to take Steve Madden and 34 other companies public.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

There are also a lot of people who love and admire Jordan. Yes, he committed the crime. Yes, he served his time\u2026 20 years ago. Continually reminding him of and\/ or reprimanding him for his choices is unnecessary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His bank account is reminder enough. Every month, for the rest of his life, he pays a minimum of $10,000 to the U.S. government in restitution to his victims (this is in addition to the $100M+ he\u2019s already paid).<\/span><\/p>\n

In a society that relishes the comeback, Jordan arguably has rights to the crown.<\/b><\/p>\n

After all, how many people can say their life was depicted in an Academy Award nominated biopic that grossed nearly $400M worldwide and had legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese behind the camera and Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio portraying them?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How many people have had <\/span>their<\/span><\/i> autobiography attain New York Times bestseller status with subsequent multiple foreign language versions and ongoing daily sales?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And, how many people can say they have an incredibly popular rap anthem based on <\/span>their<\/span><\/i> life with more than 50M YouTube views and countless spins at parties across the globe?<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter on which side of the fence of public opinion one falls, it is difficult to deny Jordan\u2019s position as a cultural icon. His former extravagant lifestyle, accumulation of massive wealth, no-holds-barred, salacious approach to living, near-fatal addictions, and very public (and admittedly deserved) downfall have allowed him to achieve legendary status.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Make no mistake; he takes personal responsibility for his actions and aims to serve as a cautionary tale for what can happen when excess and greed go horribly wrong. He also understands that his ability to lift himself up from his middle-class roots to join the ranks of the rich and famous is often construed as an inspirational story.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople connect with \u2018The Wolf\u2019,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Jordan shared. <\/span>\u201cThey see the fun and want the luxuries and glamorous elements that wealth can provide, but they\u2019re not stupid. They understand that, to get there, it takes hard work\u2026 and, they definitely don\u2019t want to go to jail. Unless you\u2019re a crazy person to start, you don\u2019t want to hurt people.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

On his Kast Media Network original podcast, <\/span>The Wolf’s Den<\/span><\/i>, Jordan guides his “pack” to attain their desired level of success without, of course, having to engage in illicit or illegal activities. Often, these teachings take the form of sit-downs with well-known entrepreneurs and celebrities who share their strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other times, Jordan\u2019s soapbox approach delivers soliloquies on life and business\u2014 the good, the bad, and the ugly\u2014to help listeners achieve their desired results faster, without the trial, tribulation, and brain damage Jordan had to incur.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my favorite episodes so far has been when I had the opportunity to sit down with the FBI agent who actually put the cuffs on me,\u201d Jordan shared. \u201cHe\u2019s now a friend, and we definitely have mutual respect for one another. He knows I\u2019ve never gotten in trouble again and that I\u2019m not a career criminal.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a really interesting conversation. To have him come on the podcast was, honestly, quite special. It was as if everything had come full circle. I\u2019ll never forget when he expressed his frustration about chasing me for seven years, getting me booked for four, and that I only served two.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

And, while Jordan\u2019s stance on what may be considered \u201cacceptable behavior\u201d has changed, his tone has far from softened. He is not one to mince words.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had Grant Cardone on the podcast, and he wanted to talk about selling,\u201d <\/span><\/i>Jordan said. <\/span>\u201cAfter a few minutes, I told him pointblank that he\u2019s one hell of a marketer, but he\u2019s not a great salesman. He didn\u2019t take it well and wanted to fight me\u2026 literally!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s so much fraud and bullsh*t in the self-help and personal development space. There are all of these self-proclaimed gurus, and I can\u2019t stand it. Don\u2019t look at people who supposedly have money because they stand next to fancy cars, take pictures in front of planes and mansions, and then take them at face value. You have to listen to what they\u2019re actually saying and dig beneath the service. If you listen close enough, and dig deep enough, you\u2019ll find a LOT of inaccuracies.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

One fact that is far from inaccurate is that, despite his misgivings, Jordan\u2019s parents loved him very much and were proud of his accomplishments. While they may not have agreed with all his actions, they loved him unconditionally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven with everything going on, they stood by my side,\u201d<\/span><\/i> Jordan shared. <\/span>\u201cThere was never a day in my life I thought they didn\u2019t love me.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Recently, Jordan\u2019s dad passed away after a lengthy illness. The last few months were especially rough.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe running joke is that he could move on to the next life because Scorsese portrayed him in a movie,\u201d <\/span><\/i>Jordan said. <\/span>\u201cAnd, we get Rob Reiner to play him. He was thrilled.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

As Scorsese\u2019s work has arguably improved with age, one could easily say the same for Belfort. One need look no further than his current definition of success to understand why:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving the world a better place than I found it\u2026 that\u2019s how I would define success,\u201d<\/span><\/i> said Jordan. <\/span>\u201cMy goal is to make sure that every interaction I have with another human being leaves him or her in a better spot. I may not always succeed, but if I do my best to lift others up, I\u2019ll die with more wealth than money could ever provide.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

For humanity\u2019s sake, one can hope Jordan reaches his final days as the wealthiest man alive.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Few five-word strings evoke such strong emotion as \u201cThe Wolf of Wall Street.\u201d\u00a0 One either loves, or loathes, Jordan Belfort.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[136,130,135,133,134,137,138,58,131,139,132],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n