It turns out that the preposterous scene in The Wolf of Wall Street where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Jordan Belfort, and his co-horts are caught in a ferocious storm and nearly meet their makers, is true.
According to an article by Brad Hutchins on bosshunting.com, the real Jordan Belfort was on a luxury yacht called the Nadine that was caught in a raging tempest and before sinking, nearly took everyone with it.
Martin Scorcese took some liberties with the boat’s itinerary, and his version of events may have looked over the top, but when you read Hutchins’ account of the real sinking, Scorcese apparently did not exaggerate the strength of the storm, nor much else. The helicopter is intentionally ditched, life rafts are ripped away from the yacht, the coast guard and a merchant ship abandon rescue efforts and everyone is pulled off the ship just minutes before the yacht slips beneath the waves.
If you want to be entertained by a gripping tale of the sea, the true story is definitely worth your time, but beware, it quotes from the movie, which contains some very salty language.
