As demonstrators took to the streets on Wednesday, President Javier Milei met with controversial ex-stockbroker Jordan Belfort, the so-called “Wolf of Wall Street.”
Belfort, who actor Leonardo DiCaprio famously portrayed in the hit 2013 film named after his moniker, hailed Milei as an ideological ally in a post on social media after their encounter.
“Two passionate advocates for free markets and individual liberty. The future is bright for Argentina!” wrote the former stockbroker alongside a photo of the duo posing for a photograph at the president’s office.
The news of the meeting was also shared by Milei, who has previously declared himself as one of the "foremost defenders of freedom in the world."
As Milei and Belfort met at the Casa Rosada, just a few miles away, tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside Congress to demonstrate in support of a law passed last month that would boost funding for state universities and improve salaries for staff.
The President has promised to veto the legislation, which was approved by both chambers of Congress, as it has not been submitted with proposed cuts elsewhere to balance the budget.
Belfort, who pleaded guilty to fraud and related crimes in connection with stock-market manipulation in 1999, gushed about Milei on Wednesday as he made the rounds with local media outlets.
The former stockbroker, who served 22 months in prison before cooperating with the FBI and securing his release, told the streaming programme Neura that "everyone he knows was praying for Milei to be elected," and that his election "is wonderful, not just for Argentina.”
Back in June, the "investment guru," as he describes himself on his website, shared a video on his X account describing Argentina as "a very interesting country" that had been turned into a “disaster” by previous governments.
The nation “has everything going for it,” said the businessman.
Belfort, 62, became a mega wealthy stockbroker in the 1990s, defrauding investors and leading a life filled with sex and drugs. He went to prison after pleading guilty to fraud and stock manipulation.
After his release, he published an autobiography titled "The Wolf of Wall Street," which director Martin Scorsese later adapted into a film in 2013.
The film, starring DiCaprio, received five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.
Belfort is married to the Córdoba-born model Cristina Invernizzi, and was reportedly introduced to Milei via his father-in-law.
“It is clear to any investor who knows anything about economics, natural resources and global positioning, that Argentina is now, in terms of potential, a very easy story to tell,” said the specialist.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
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