Raj Mahal
Is “The Wolf of Wall Street” what Wall Street is really like? Former trader Raj Mahal offers his review of the movie – and some real-life stories about just how wild it was.
I think “The Wolf of Wall Street” is Martin Scorsese’s best movie since “GoodFellas” – though I’m probably a little biased. I worked as a trader on trading floors since the mid 90s, was a managing director at the age of 28, and often the ringleader of having fun on the trading floor so I have seen a lot of things. I would organize stuff on the trading floor like Chicken McNugget contests and if a guy could eat every item in the vending machine. It was fun and unfortunately will never happen again on Wall Street.
The first scene of the movie involves a midget-tossing contest in the middle of Jordan’s Belfort’s firm, with Leonardo DiCaprio, who plays Belfort, doing cocaine off a hooker’s behind, followed by an ad for Belfort’s firm, Stratton Oakmont. Talk about getting straight to the point.