Belfort depicts himself as a stubborn, willful man who values loyalty above all, but Cohen writes, "When their days of reckoning came, Mr. Joel Cohen, one of the federal agents who prosecuted Belfort, has a lot to say in his article written for the New York Times titled "The Real Belfort Story Missing from 'Wolf' Movie." Cohen calls Belfort out on inventing a lot of the story he has told in the book, specifically, his refusal to cooperate with agents. It is clear that Belfort was born to sell, but critics aren't buying. And to anyone that thinks there’s anything glamorous about being known as a Wolf of Wall Street.” His voice comes through strong in this passage, convincing readers that he is a changed man.
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Within the first few pages, Belfort addresses this, writing, “But what I sincerely hope is that my life serves as a cautionary tale to the rich and poor alike to anyone who’s living with a spoon up their nose and a bunch of pills dissolving in their stomach sac or to any person who’s considering taking a God-given gift and misusing it to anyone who decides to go to the dark side of the force and live a life of unbridled hedonism. It is a wonder, though, why Belfort would write about such things, especially now that he has two grown children and enough money to comfortably live out his life without receiving royalties from the book. Belfort’s voice is so strong and his character is absolutely fascinating that it is no wonder the book was an instant success. The book is riddled with profanity, telling tales of heavy drug use, illegal stock manipulation and vulgar encounters with prostitutes. In “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Belfort recounts tons of hard-to-believe stories about his extravagant life before he was convicted.