Mark Hanna

**Mark Hanna** is thesenior stockbroker in L.F. Rothschild, who worked with Jordan Belfort, before its closure in 1987.

## History

### **L. F. Rothschild**

In 1987, a young stockbroker, Jordan Belfort, enters into L. F. Rothschild, being prepped by Jerry Fogel on what to do. After Jerry's aggressive and demeaning attitude to Jordan, he is greeted by Mark Hanna, who tells him to dismiss Jerry as Mark is a senior broker and jokes that Jerry was molested as a child. Mark is further impressed by Jordan's interview for the job, as he tried to sell stock to the interviewers, amusing him profoundly. He tells Jordan that they should go out for lunch, leaving to rile up brokers. The atmosphere and obscene nature of the company, drags Jordan in, as he falls into home among the profane and aggressive stock brokers.

Jordan meets up with Mark for the planned dinner, in a quiet and upscale restaurant, contrasting the two's workplace and behavior. Mark begins a rhythmic exercise during their time out, as Jordan is left awkwardly waiting in his seat, to Mark humming to himself. Mark proceeds to snort some cocaine and offers some to Jordan, though Jordan politely declines the offer. A waiter comes to their table, with Mark asking for constant martinis until one of them is knocked out drunk, but Jordan again politely declines, saying water will do nicely. Mark and the waiter are amused by Jordan's conserved nature, as they pass it off as him not being ready yet. Jordan awkwardly inquires if Mark can actually function in the office while on cocaine, amused but confused by Mark taking drugs in broad daylight. Mark proclaims its one of the two reasons why he even does this job, that being cocaine and hookers, amusing Jordan even further.

Jordan tries divert the conversation to be courteous, telling Mark that he is thankful for the job and that the clients are wonderful. But Mark again cuts him off, telling him bluntly, "Fuck the clients", and rather redirects Jordan to prioritize getting all the money he can from his clients. Mark applies the concept to Jordan's wife, Teresa, telling him that the money in his clients pockets should be in his and his wife's pockets. Jordan tries to dispel the notion kindly, saying that a profitable transaction between clients and the brokers would be beneficial for both parties. Mark again discourages this notion, as he tells him that the stock itself is useless, and that it only makes the clients look like they're rich on paper. But rather, the brokers themselves are going home with the "cold hard cash", and it's their duty to feed off of their client's addiction, for their own self worth. This short excerpt from their conversation would be very significant towards Jordan's beliefs, as this mindset Mark presents, would follow Jordan throughout his career.

Mark finally imparts two key points of wisdom that are essential to survive in the industry. He first tells Jordan that he needs to relax, advising him to jerk off as much as he can and asks how many times Jordan does it weekly. Jordan, embarrassed to share this information, tells him he does it 3-4 times a week. Mark scoffs at the numbers, telling him its rookie numbers comparative to Mark doing it at least two times a day, in the morning and after lunch. He reasons that it is not because he wants to but he needs to, as he prescribes the relief as the single most important aspect, as he's seen others burn out from the stress of the business. Finally, he recommends cocaine, as the jolt it brings to the senses, can help in being sharp with the ears and dialing faster, making the entire broker process much faster. As the martinis are brought in for Mark, he begins to hum again, getting Jordan to join in reluctantly, as the two pound their chests.

Mark later takes Jordan to a strip club that evening, getting the two lap dances, much to Jordan's bewilderment. Jordan is proactively pulled in farther into the decadent lifestyle Mark exudes, filled with drugs and sex.

### **Black Monday**

On October 19, 1987, Mark is running L. F. Rothschild as usual, with Jordan passing his entrance to official status as a broker for the firm. But, on that morning, the market went down to its lowest point, since the crash leading up to the Great Depression. Mark, Jordan, and many other brokers look on with disbelief, as the market officially crashed with the one of its most severe drops, on "Black Monday". The company, established since 1899, was shut down and foreclosed due to the event, leading to Mark and all the other employees out of work. It is unknown what happened to Mark after the closure of L. F. Rothschild, as he is not present in the movie afterwards.

Jordan, however, would continue his own career in Wall Street, creating his own company, Stratton Oakmont, based heavily in the ideals and beliefs exuded by Mark, and as well as influencing Jordan's own personal lifestyle to mimic that of how Mark lived his.

## Gallery

L.F. RothschildMark's lunch with Jordan BelfortMark and Jordan at the stripclubMark witnesses "Black Monday"