“you are now in heaven.”
Why it's great
It turns dry compliance talk into a temptation without ever raising its voice.
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Informal
Use it yourself
With that salary and no commute, he is in heaven.
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Jordan Probes Swiss Bank Secrecy, Explained
The Wolf of Wall Street · 2013
Chapter 19 of 30 · 5'01"
After a nightmare flight with a drug-addled Donnie, Jordan meets Geneva banker Jean Jacques Saurel. Jordan wants to know if the FBI can reach his money; Saurel answers with Swiss law, a joke about tanks, and a line that sounds like a promise: "From a financial standpoint, you are now in heaven."
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 3:47–4:59
Saurel Explains Swiss Bank Secrecy
72s
Jordan Probes Swiss Bank Secrecy, explained
What happens
On a flight to Switzerland, Donnie, strung out on ludes, panics and gets tied up by the captain. Jordan lands in Geneva and warns him to behave, then sits down with banker Jean Jacques Saurel to ask how Swiss bank secrecy works. Saurel explains that the bank only cooperates if the crime is also a crime in Switzerland.
What's really going on
Jordan isn't asking about Swiss law out of curiosity. He's testing whether his money can be shielded from the FBI, and Saurel answers him without ever saying yes. The banker first deflects — "Whether America plans to invade Switzerland in the coming months" — then delivers the line Jordan came for: "From a financial standpoint, you are now in heaven." That is the sales pitch, delivered as a fact. But the useful part is the loophole: cooperation only follows if the crime is also a crime in Switzerland, and the account shouldn't be "under your name." Saurel's final hints about a "friend," a "cousin," a "relative" are the real deal being offered. Jordan has found his offshore solution without anyone putting it in writing.
Key lines & what they mean
- “you are now in heaven.”
- Saurel's verdict on Switzerland: from a financial point of view, Jordan's money is now untouchable — no U.S. subpoena can reach it here.
- “Was that yodeling I just heard or did you just say what I thought you said?”
- Jordan's way of mocking Saurel's roundabout hint: he pretends he can't believe the banker actually suggested using someone else's name.
- “What I needed was a rathole with a European passport.”
- Jordan's framing of the fix: he needs a nominee — a front man — who holds a European passport so the account can sit outside the U.S.
- “What I'm asking, you Swiss dick, is are you going to fuck me over?”
- Jordan drops the polite talk and asks the real question: is this bank going to cheat him or protect him?
- “When we get out there, try not to act like yourself.”
- Jordan's warning to Donnie before they meet the banker — behave, or you'll blow the whole thing.
Theme
- Money — Jordan flies to Geneva to move his fortune where U.S. investigators cannot reach it.
- Secrets — Saurel explains Swiss secrecy and hints at a nominee account without ever naming the scheme.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level3/7
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“Was that yodeling I just heard or did you just say what I thought you said?”
Why it's great
One joking question lets him accept a criminal hint without ever saying it out loud.
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Informal
Use it yourself
Was that a compliment or did you just insult me?
“What I needed was a rathole with a European passport.”
Why it's great
A crude little word carries the whole scheme better than any explanation could.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
What I needed was someone who would say no to me.
“What I'm asking, you Swiss dick, is are you going to fuck me over?”
Why it's great
A blunt question with an insult wedged in the middle, getting straight to the fear: will you betray me?
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
Before I sign, just tell me straight: are you going to screw me over?
“When we get out there, try not to act like yourself.”
Why it's great
A deadpan instruction not to be yourself, which lands as an insult without ever saying one.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
When you meet my parents, try not to act like yourself.
Up next · 20get the best ofThe scene: Jordan Visits Aunt Emma in LondonTakeaways
What you walk away with- A Swiss account is safest when the name on it is not yours.
- The banker's jokes are a test of nerve, not small talk.
- Jordan's mid-flight panic is played for blunt comedy.
- Dry compliance talk carries the scene's real threat.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhat is a rathole?
In the film's slang, a rathole is a nominee account holder — a trusted person who lets his name be used on an offshore account. Jordan explains he needs one with a European passport so the money can enter Switzerland.
Why did the captain tie Donnie up?
Donnie is a nervous flyer who took too many ludes and started screaming, rolling on the floor, and insulting the captain. The captain restrained and nearly tasered him to keep the flight under control.
Why does Saurel keep talking about tanks and yodeling?
He is stalling and having fun with the Americans before business. The jokes about a U.S. invasion of Switzerland and Jordan's mispronunciation of Rue de la Croix are his way of testing how serious Jordan is.
What does Saurel actually offer Jordan?
He explains that the bank will only cooperate with U.S. authorities if the crime is also a crime in Switzerland, and hints the account should be held under someone else's name — a friend, a cousin, a relative.