Does the name Jordan Belfort ring a bell? You probably remember him from Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie, The Wolf of Wall Street.
While the movie mainly focused on Belfort’s hard-partying antics and reckless lifestyle, it didn’t show much about his life and career before becoming insanely rich.
Denise Lombardo is Jordan Belfort’s first wife, and she divorced him after five years of marriage after finding out about his multiple affairs.
Since the release of the movie back in 2013, fans have been curious about the woman who was married to Jordan Belfort even before his wild ride in the stock market. In this post, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Denise Lombardo.
Who’s Denise Lombardo?
Denise Lombardo is the ex-wife of the notorious stockbroker; Jordan Belfort. The couple went together to Bayside high school and were high school sweethearts. They tied the knot in 1985, but their marriage lasted only until 1991, when Lombardo filed for divorce.
Lombardo is maybe only famous because of her ex-husband. However, she had her own successful career as a businesswoman. She worked in sales and real estate and got her real estate agent license in 2010.
Early Life and Education
Born on 11th November 1963, Denise Lombardo grew up and spent most of her childhood in Ohio, United States. Her parents, Anthony Fiorito, and Ann Lombardo, had Italian ancestry. The rest of the family includes Denise’s two sisters; Deanna and Lisa, and one brother; Paul.
Lombardo attended Bayside High School, and after graduation, she enrolled at Adelphi University. In 1987, she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature.
It seems like Lombardo was a motivated and education-oriented person. Soon after she graduated from Adelphi University, she joined Towson University for a Business Administration and Science course.
Denise was determined to pursue further education, so she attended the Australian Catholic University for postgraduate studies. She eventually graduated with a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration General.
According to some reports, Denise also joined the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied merchandising and buying operations.
Career
Denise Lombardo may be known only as the ex-wife of Jordan Belfort. However, she had a successful career as a businesswoman and held various roles in many companies.
From 1993 to 2000, Lombardo worked for the Modern Medical System Company in the sales department. Later, she worked for The Home Depot Company as a flooring specialist.
In 2006, Denise worked for a British multinational medical equipment company, Smith & Nephew.
Looks like Denise didn’t only rely on her education and experience but her talent as well. She worked on various fashion projects, such as Stefano Bravo, Genny-Byblos, Laurevan Shoe, and Blue Marine.
In 2010, Denise got into the real estate business. After she got her real estate agent license, she joined the Douglas Elliman company.
Relationship with Jordan Belfort
Denise Lombardo met Belfort when she was in Bayside High School. Lombardo was studying merchandise, while Belfort was a door-to-door meat salesman. The couple fell in love and quickly became high school sweethearts. They tied the knot in a ritual ceremony in 1985.
Despite Belfort’s potential in the business, the couple was financially struggling during their first few years of marriage, and Belfort even declared bankruptcy.
Despite their tough situation, the couple stayed together, and Denise supported Belfort through thick and thin. She continued her studies while working in every possible way to support her husband.
Jordan got a job at L.F Rothschild as a trainee stockbroker. However, things didn’t work out for him, and he got fired in 1987 following the stock market crash.
After acquiring new business skills, Belfort decided to continue his career as a stockbroker at a penny stock market company. Belfort achieved extraordinary financial success and started his own company Stratton Oakmont with his partner Danny Porush for a $250,000 investment.
Jordan Belfort went from being bankrupt to making a whooping $3 million in one year. The young couple enjoyed Belfort’s success, moved to a lavish home, and started going on extravagant vacations.
After his exceptional financial success, Belfort recognized that he could keep making insane amounts of money through fake offers. Jordan’s ambition quickly turned to greed, and he went from declaring bankruptcy to having more money than he could ever spend.
The ruthless and unethical business practices of Jordan Belfort led him to engage in an extravagant lifestyle. From high-end parties and multiple affairs to abusing drugs and alcohol, Belfort was a true definition of an irresponsible husband.
Belfort’s relationship with Denise went downhill because of his multiple affairs and odd lifestyle. In 1991, Denise divorced her husband after discovering his affair with Nadine Caridi, a British American model known as the Duchess of Bay Ridge.
Denise Lombardo Net Worth
Following her divorce from her millionaire ex-husband, Denise Lombardo reportedly got a huge alimony. While there’s no confirmed information about Denise Lombardo’s actual net worth, some reports suggest her net worth is around $9.5 million.
Life After Divorce
After the divorce, Lombardo got married to her boyfriend, Mladly, in 1994. There’s not enough information about the couple and whether they’re still together or divorced.
It seems like Lombardo prefers to live a quiet life away from the spotlight and media attention after her separation from Belfort.
Regarding Jordan Belfort, he tied the knot with Nadine Caridi one year after his divorce from Denise. However, the marriage went downhill after 14 years and ended in divorce.
Caridi accused The Wolf of Wall Street of domestic violence and infidelity. She also claimed Belfort was mentally and physically abusive to her as a result of his drug abuse.
The couple had two children, Chandler and Carter Belfort, and called an end to their marriage in 2005.
To Sum Up
Denise Lombardo is the former wife of the notorious stockbroker and businessman; Jordan Belfort. The couple met at Bayside High School and tied the knot in 1985.
Jordan Belfort succeeded in the penny stock market and eventually started his company Stratton Oakmont. The Wolf of Wall Street went on from being broke to making millions of dollars per year.
Belfort engaged in many illegal activities, including drug abuse and making fake offers. His odd lifestyle and multiple affairs led to the breakdown of his marriage with Lombardo in 1991.
Denise leads a private life away from the media, but according to reports, she got an estate agent license in 2010 and currently lives in Washington, D.C, with her husband, Mladly.
