‣ Fact vs Fiction in The Wolf of Wall Street - Jordan Belfort
Jun 27, 2022
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Jordan Belfort, former stockbroker and author of 'The Wolf of Wall Street', discusses the accuracy of the movie's portrayal of sales techniques, camaraderie, corruption, and drug use. They share personal experiences with quaaludes, discuss the effects of various drugs, and the use of multiple substances to maintain functionality at work.
Sales meetings and emotional motivation were crucial for the success of the firm portrayed in the movie, but the intention was always to make money through speculative stocks and help build America.
The movie accurately depicted a sense of camaraderie and insanity, but there were inaccuracies in the narrative, such as the protagonist's resignation and the timing of events like the sinking of the yacht and plane crash, while the extent of drug use in reality was even worse.
Deep dives
Accuracy in the Movie Sales Meetings
The movie accurately depicted the importance of sales meetings in the firm, where pumping up the salespeople twice a day was a crucial part of the culture. The constant emotional motivation and skill honing of the sales team was highlighted. However, it is important to note that the movie incorrectly portrayed the intention of selling big stocks and then low-quality stocks. In reality, the focus was always on making money through speculative stocks and helping to build America.
Inaccuracies in the Movie Narrative
While the overall feeling of camaraderie and insanity portrayed in the movie was accurate, there were several inaccuracies in the narrative. One major inaccuracy was the scene where the protagonist decides not to resign. In reality, the resignation did happen, and the protagonist ran the firm from behind the scenes. Additionally, many events like the sinking of the yacht and the plane crash did occur, but they happened at different times and were not directly correlated. Furthermore, the depiction of drug use in the movie was accurate, with quaaludes portrayed as a highly abused drug. However, the extent of drug use was even worse in reality, with a variety of drugs being consumed, including painkillers and barbiturates.