Jordan Belfort, the infamous “Wolf of Wall Street,” has a fortune that’s as controversial as his life story. As of 2025, his net worth is estimated to be around $115 million, according to some sources, while others, like CNW, peg it at a staggering negative $100 million. The negative figure isn’t a typo, it reflects the $100 million he still owes in restitution to the 1,513 victims he defrauded during his days running the shady brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont.
Between 1989 and 1996, Belfort and his partners orchestrated a massive pump-and-dump scheme, manipulating penny stocks to steal roughly $200 million from investors, many of whom were ordinary people who lost life savings. In 1999, he pleaded guilty to securities fraud and money laundering, cooperating with the FBI to reduce his sentence. He served 22 months in prison, far less than the original four-year term, and was released in April 2006.
Inside Jordan Belfort’s $100 Million Net Worth as of 2025
The restitution saga is where things get messy. In 2003, Belfort was ordered to repay $110 million to his victims, but as of 2025, he’s only paid back about $13–14 million. The bulk of that—$11 million—came from the sale of assets seized by the government, including his $5.775 million Old Brookville mansion, which the feds sold for a fraction of its value. His repayment efforts have been lackluster at best.
Between 2007 and 2009, he paid $700,000, but in 2010, he paid nothing. In 2011, he sold the film rights to his memoirs, The Wolf of Wall Street and Catching the Wolf of Wall Street, to Red Granite Pictures for $1.045 million but only handed over $21,000 to victims. The government had to step in, forcing Red Granite to divert $125,000 directly to restitution in 2012. By 2013, his repayment terms were renegotiated to a measly $10,000 per month for life, a far cry from the original 50% of his income.
Belfort’s post-prison reinvention as a motivational speaker and author is where he’s rebuilt his wealth. His memoir, The Wolf of Wall Street, became a global bestseller, published in 40 countries and translated into 18 languages. The 2013 Martin Scorsese film adaptation, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, further cemented his notoriety—and lined his pockets. Despite claiming he’d donate all royalties to victims, Belfort pocketed most of the money.
Today, he charges $30,000 to $75,000 per speaking engagement and $80,000 for sales seminars through his company, Global Motivation Inc. He reportedly earns around $18 million annually from books, speeches, and consulting, though his victims see little of it. In 2018, prosecutors dragged him back to court for failing to pay restitution on $9 million in speaking fees earned between 2013 and 2015.
The “Wolf of Wall Street” nickname itself is a self-made myth. Contrary to the film’s portrayal, no one called him that during his Wall Street days. He invented the moniker while writing his memoir in prison, encouraged by his cellmate, comedian Tommy Chong. The 1991 Forbes article that supposedly dubbed him the “wolf” was actually titled “Steaks, Stocks—What’s the Difference?”—a nod to his earlier career as a door-to-door meat salesman. The article described him as a “twisted Robin Hood” who stole from the rich to enrich himself and his brokers, but never used the word “wolf.”
Belfort’s personal life is as chaotic as his professional one. He’s been married four times—first to Denise Lombardo (1985–1991), then to British model Nadine Caridi (1991–2005), who inspired Margot Robbie’s character in the film. Their marriage was marred by drug-fueled abuse, including an incident where Belfort kicked Caridi down the stairs. They had two children before divorcing in 2005.
His third marriage, to Anne Koppe (2008–2020), ended in divorce, and he’s now married to Cristina Invernizzi, a model he met in a Mexican pub in 2019. His extravagant past included a $700,000 hotel bill, a sunken 167-foot yacht (originally owned by Coco Chanel), and a notorious $3 million cash-covered bed where he and Caridi had s*x.
Belfort’s recent pivot to cryptocurrency has been ironic, given his past skepticism. In 2018, he called Bitcoin “mass delusion,” but by 2021, he’d changed his tune, investing in failed crypto projects like Squirrel Technologies and Pawtocol. He even lost $300,000 in a hack but declined to launch his own Wolf-themed NFTs, despite admitting he could’ve made $10 million.
The debate over Jordan Belfort’s net worth boils down to perspective. If you ignore the $100 million he owes victims, he’s a millionaire many times over. But legally and morally, his debt shadows every dollar he earns. The Wolf of Wall Street remains a master of reinvention, but his victims are still waiting for their due.
