You've seen it. That grainy GIF of Leonardo DiCaprio, veins bulging, screaming into a cordless microphone that he’s "not f**king leaving." Or maybe it's the one where Matthew McConaughey is thumping his chest like a silverback gorilla while humming a drone-like tune. These images aren't just snippets from a 2013 Martin Scorsese film anymore. They’ve basically become the unofficial language of the internet's financial underbelly.
The wolf of wall street meme has outlived the movie’s theatrical run by over a decade. It’s weird, honestly. Most movie memes die out after a few months, buried by the next Marvel quip or a viral TikTok dance. But Jordan Belfort’s cinematic ghost is a different beast. It haunts every crypto dip, every "meme stock" rally, and every corporate Slack channel where someone is trying to act way cooler than their middle-management title suggests.
But there’s a massive disconnect. While the internet uses these memes to celebrate "grinding" or "diamond-handing" a failing stock, the movie was actually a pitch-black satire about a guy who ruined thousands of lives.
The McConaughey Hum: A Ritual That Wasn't in the Script
Let’s start with the chest thump. You know the one—the "rookie numbers" scene. It’s arguably the most famous part of the film, but here’s the kicker: it wasn't even in the script.
Matthew McConaughey, who plays the mentor Mark Hanna, has this ritual he does before scenes to relax. He thumps his chest and hums to drop his voice and get out of his head. During filming, Leo saw him doing it and, being the pro he is, asked if they could throw it in the actual scene. Scorsese said yes. The rest is internet history.
Today, that hum is used as a shorthand for "fake it till you make it." When someone on Reddit posts that they just bought $5,000 worth of a weird new coin named after a dog, someone else inevitably replies with the GIF of the chest thump. It’s a signal. A "we’re in this together" vibe. But in the context of the movie, Hanna was teaching Belfort that the game is "fugazi"—it’s fairy dust. It’s not real. The meme celebrates the hustle, while the scene was actually about the total lack of substance in the industry.
👉 See also: New Movies in Theatre: What Most People Get Wrong About This Month's Picks
"I’m Not Leaving" and the Rise of the Meme Stock
If the chest thump is about the "hustle," the "I’m not leaving" speech is the anthem of the holdout. It became the rallying cry for the GameStop saga and the AMC frenzy. When a stock price starts tanking, out comes the GIF.
It’s powerful. It’s defiant. It’s also kinda hilarious because, in the film, Belfort’s refusal to leave is the exact moment his life starts to truly spiral into legal oblivion. He could have taken a deal. He could have walked away with his money and his freedom. Instead, his ego won.
The internet has stripped away that cautionary tale. Now, it’s just about grit. We see it used by:
- Crypto investors watching their portfolio drop 80% in a week.
- Homeowners refusing to sell because they locked in a 2.5% mortgage rate back in 2021.
- Employees who just survived a massive round of layoffs.
It’s a universal symbol of stubbornness. Jordan Belfort himself even leaned into it. Back in 2021, the real-life Belfort recreated the scene in a video aimed at the WallStreetBets crowd. He basically became a meme of a movie about himself. Talk about a meta-loop.
Sell Me This Pen: The Interview Question That Won't Die
Then there’s the pen. "Sell me this pen." It’s the ultimate sales bro litmus test.
✨ Don't miss: A Simple Favor Blake Lively: Why Emily Nelson Is Still the Ultimate Screen Mystery
In the film, the "correct" answer is demonstrated by Brad Bodnick (played by Jon Bernthal), who asks for Belfort’s signature. When Belfort realizes he doesn't have a pen, Bodnick hands it back. Supply and demand. Simple.
Except, the real Jordan Belfort has gone on record saying that answer is actually kinda wrong. According to him, the first thing a real salesperson should do is ask questions. "How long have you been looking for a pen?" "What do you usually use to write with?" You’re supposed to find the need before you fill the supply.
But the meme doesn't care about nuanced sales psychology. The wolf of wall street meme version of this is all about the "gotcha" moment. It’s been parodied a million times—even recently, people have been making versions where the answer is "it’s powered by AI," poking fun at the tech world’s obsession with putting a chatbot into everything from toothbrushes to, well, pens.
Why We’re Still Obsessed in 2026
It’s 2026, and we are still talking about a movie from 2013. Why?
Part of it is Leonardo DiCaprio’s face. The guy is a walking reaction bank. His smug smile while holding a champagne glass (which is actually from The Great Gatsby, but often lumped into the "Wolf" aesthetic) or his look of absolute manic joy is just too useful for social media.
🔗 Read more: The A Wrinkle in Time Cast: Why This Massive Star Power Didn't Save the Movie
But there’s a deeper reason. We live in an era where the line between "legitimate finance" and "weird internet gambling" has basically evaporated. The film’s portrayal of absolute, unhinged excess feels more relevant now than it did when it was released. We’ve seen the rise and fall of FTX, the madness of NFTs, and the weird cult of personality surrounding "finfluencers."
The memes allow us to participate in that world without the actual risk of going to federal prison. It’s a way to mock the absurdity of the "hustle" while also secretly kind of admiring the confidence it takes to pull it off.
How to Actually Use These Memes Without Looking Like a "Bro"
If you're going to drop a wolf of wall street meme in the group chat, context is everything. You don't want to be the person who actually thinks Jordan Belfort is a hero—that’s a major red flag in most social circles.
- Use it ironically. The best way to use the "I'm not leaving" GIF is when you're talking about something trivial, like refusing to get off the couch to do the dishes.
- Acknowledge the "Fugazi." If you're talking about a risky investment, use the McConaughey hum to signal that you know it’s all a bit of a gamble. It shows you're in on the joke.
- Avoid the "Alpha" trap. Don't use these memes to actually try and sound like a motivational speaker. It’s cringe. Everybody knows.
The staying power of these images comes from their ability to capture a specific type of American madness—the kind that believes if you just scream loud enough and work hard enough, you can beat the system. Whether that's true or not doesn't really matter to the internet. The GIF is what remains.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on how these formats are evolving on platforms like TikTok and X. The memes are shifting from simple movie clips to "deep-fried" versions and AI-generated remixes that place Belfort in increasingly absurd situations. If you want to dive deeper into the psychology of why we idolize these "lovable rogues," looking into the "Literally Me" phenomenon in film subcultures is a great place to start. It explains a lot about why we see ourselves in characters who are clearly meant to be the bad guys.
Actionable Insight: Next time you see a "Sell me this pen" meme or a chest-thumping GIF, remember the source. Use these tools for humor and irony, but keep the "cautionary tale" part of the movie in the back of your mind. If you’re using them in a professional setting, stick to the "rookie numbers" joke—it’s the safest way to build camaraderie without accidentally signaling that you’re planning a pump-and-dump scheme.