“All you have to do is ask.”
Why it's great
It hands over the initiative with fake modesty, waiting for the other side to bite.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
All you have to do is call me.
00:00 / 03:46
00:00 / 03:46
Jordan Pitches the FBI Agent, Explained
The Wolf of Wall Street · 2013
Chapter 17 of 30 · 3'46"
On Jordan's yacht, an FBI agent and a stockbroker trade small talk like two men doing a deal. Jordan offers his "personal line" and insists "I don't see why a little sitdown like this can't be profitable for the both of us." The friendliness is the pitch: he's trying to turn an investigator into an asset.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:41–1:03
Jordan Offers His Personal Line
22s - 2:05–2:38
❝ Monologue · 7 lines Jordan Plays the Man of the People
33s - 2:07–2:19
❝ Monologue · 4 lines Denham's sympathy trap
He takes your side against the system, then waits for you to slip.
12s - 2:40–3:36
Jordan's Feel-Good Sales Story
56s
Jordan Pitches the FBI Agent, explained
What happens
FBI agent Patrick Denham meets Jordan Belfort on his yacht. Denham claims the case was dumped on his desk by a superior who wanted to look busy, and Jordan listens sympathetically. Then Jordan offers his personal phone line and floats the idea that a quiet arrangement could profit them both, before steering the talk toward his own generosity.
What's really going on
The scene is a bribe that never says the word. Jordan's friendliness is a strategy: he offers Denham his 'personal line' and suggests that 'a little sitdown like this can't be profitable for the both of us.' When Denham asks personal questions, Jordan answers with a speech about honest people — 'Firefighters, teachers, FBI agents' — who, he says, get 'skinned alive financially.' His story about a young client whose life changed overnight is a sales pitch dressed as sympathy. Even 'All you have to do is ask' is bait: he is offering himself as a source. Denham takes the number, but he is collecting information, not friendship.
Key lines & what they mean
- “All you have to do is ask.”
- Jordan's open invitation to Denham: he presents himself as ready to share inside information, framing cooperation as a simple friendly favor.
- “I could take you step-by-step through what exactly is occurring.”
- He offers to walk the agent through Wall Street's practices — a pitch for access, and a way to look helpful rather than guilty.
- “and then overnight your life can change.”
- The promise at the heart of his sales story: one good trade can transform an ordinary life, which is how he justifies the business.
- “End of the day, you guys get fucking skinned alive financially.”
- His empathy pitch: honest workers like firefighters and FBI agents end up broke, so Jordan claims to be on their side against the system.
Theme
- Deception — Jordan's charm is calculated: every friendly gesture is aimed at turning an investigator into a source he can use.
- Money — He reframes greed as generosity, insisting the market's real purpose is letting hardworking people like Denham's folk get rich.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level0/10
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“I could take you step-by-step through what exactly is occurring.”
Why it's great
The slow pace hides the real offer: he is the one who knows everything.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Let me take you step-by-step through the setup.
“and then overnight your life can change.”
Why it's great
It sells sudden wealth in a handful of words, which is exactly the hook.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
One good break can change everything overnight.
“End of the day, you guys get fucking skinned alive financially.”
Why it's great
A blunt summary that turns polite finance talk into being skinned alive.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
End of the day, the workers get skinned alive on pay.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Dressing a bribe as charity
Now the one thing about Wall Street and this market is, for me, I feel it's good to give back. You know, there's... There are situations where I can make those situations better for people. You know? You know what I mean. Opportunity is everything.
The gentle tone is what makes the offer dangerous.
❝ Denham's sympathy trap
You think about the people that built this country, hardworking people like you. Firefighters, teachers, FBI agents. End of the day, you guys get fucking skinned alive financially. It fucking makes me angry.
He takes your side against the system, then waits for you to slip.
Up next · 18to the manor bornThe scene: Jordan Tries to Bribe Agent DenhamTakeaways
What you walk away with- A soft offer can be a crime in plain clothes.
- 'give back' sounds noble but can hide a deal.
- Denham's sympathy is itself a tactic.
- Sidestepping a question can be an answer.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Jordan offer Denham his personal line?
It's a move to build a relationship. By acting friendly and available, Jordan hopes to turn an FBI investigator into someone who feeds him information instead of building a case against him.
Is Jordan bribing Denham in this scene?
He never names a bribe, but he clearly floats one — 'a little sitdown like this can't be profitable for the both of us.' He is testing whether Denham can be bought or used.
Why does Jordan talk about firefighters and teachers?
To sound like a man of the people. He argues that honest workers get cheated by the financial system, which frames his own dealings as fair by comparison.
What is the point of the story about the young client?
It's a sales pitch. Jordan uses a feel-good anecdote about a kid whose life changed overnight to make the business sound like charity rather than fraud.
How much did the intern supposedly make on one trade?
Jordan says the intern made 'north of half a million dollars' on a single trade, a number meant to impress Denham with how much money is at stake.