Jean-Jacques Saurel

**Jean-Jacques Saurel** is a former Swiss banker, who aided Jordan Belfort in laundering money.

## History

### **Belfort Management**

By the year 1993, Jean was a successful banker in Geneva, Switzerland, who garnered numerous high-profile clients due to his "openness" to aid illegal activity. This passiveness to immorality would result in a law school friend of his, Nicky "Rugrat" Koskoff, reaching out to him in a time of need. Rugrat's current lucrative work with Jordan Belfort & his stock broking company, Stratton Oakmont, had attracted unwanted attention from the FBI, with their highly illegal schemes being on the verge of being revealed. To halt incrimination, the money garnered from their acquisition needed to be placed under jurisdiction outside of the United States, which Jean specialized in. Rugrat, Jordan and co-founder Donnie Azoff all head to Geneva to have a discussion on creating the account, with the plane ride getting their being very chaotic.

Once finally arriving in Geneva, sobering up from the night before, Jordan and Donnie are almost arrested upon entering the country for the night before. But, through Rugrat's help, Saurel intervenes and keeps them out jail. They promptly go to Saurel and begin the meeting. The trio make small chit chat with Saurel and his bankers, but Jordan becomes slightly impatient and inquires about his bank's secrecy laws. The awkward interruption transitions Saurel to begin the deliberations, as Jordan seems unwavering in not wanting to continuing with idle small talk for ten minutes. Jordan further goes into asking whether Saurel would need to cooperate with the FBI or the United States in any legal investigation, which Saurel responds with a slight joke, of it depending on if the U.S. invades Switzerland in the coming months. Rugrat and Saurel banter a little bit, with Jordan growing unamused with Saurel's levity, wanting to rather seriously know if Saurel will "fuck him over". Saurel goes into how the bank would only need to cooperate if the laws being broken apply to Swiss law as well, which fortunately for Jordan are not as strict as the U.S. system over his practices. Saurel again humors the room, in that if the U.S. sent a subpoena to investigate them, they would "wipe their asses with it". Jordan interrupts with the claim that the Swiss do in fact have legal jurisdiction over stock fraud, meaning that it would require cooperation to Jordan's extent. Saurel does clarify that it is so, but rebuts that it would only be true if the account was under his name that the money was being held in. Meaning, if Jordan was to pigeon off the account to a relative or friend, the ability to investigate would be avoided. Jordan further realizes as well that not only must this person be close to him, but as well hold a European passport to be able to transfer all that money.

Jordan decides that his wife's Aunt Emma had all the qualities needed to hold the account, and goes to England to ask her to do it. She accepts the responsibility of opening the account under her name, and Jordan goes back to New York to begin the transfer. Jordan realizes the amount of money that needs to be shipped would require extra help, so he enlists close friend, Brad Bodnick, and his wife, Chantalle Bodnick, to help move the money. Due to Chantalle having a Swiss passport, she can as well move the cash, which will be taped onto her body, into the country through multiple trips. They realize that they can expedite the process if they get her family involved as well, who are from Europe as well. The trips go smoothly and the plan to move the money is executed successfully.

Saurel collects the money directly from Chantalle when she arrives in Switzerland, with the two instantly hitting it off very well. He flirts with and charms Chantalle, while she removes the money off her body and hands it over to him. Saurel's flirtation would quickly result in the two beginning an affair, as Saurel and Chantalle would have sex with each other, every time she did a transporting trip, unbeknownst to anyone else.

### Belfort Investigation

Saurel continues on smoothly with his business, while the same could not be said of Jordan's own dealings. Donnie wants to as well ship his own money as well to Saurel, but a series of chaotic events results in Brad being arrested, with the whole plan being under jeopardy. To calm his nerves, Donnie and Jordan take highly potent quaaludes that render them in an extremely inebriated state. Donnie tries to drunkenly call Saurel, but the drug's effect on his motor functions results in him being unintelligible to Saurel on the other end. Jordan, as well under the effects of the drugs, is able to get back in the house, after being notified that the phone lines are being tapped by the FBI. Meaning, that if Donnie verbally admits to the foreign bank account existing, their operation is blown. Jordan is however able to wrangle the phone away from Donnie, stopping the authorities from learning any new incriminating information.

The FBI however do not relent on Jordan, with subpoenas being issued to every employee under Stratton Oakmont, for questioning and interrogation on possible illegal actions done by the company and it's founder. After this small win, Jordan secretly travels to Italy for a vacation with Donnie and their families. Jordan however learns that Aunt Emma has died, which alarms Jordan due to the account Saurel holds being under her name. He quickly calls Saurel, who after consoling Jordan over Emma's death, which Jordan dismissively doesn't care about, informs him of Emma signing him as the successor to the account's holding. Relief passes over Jordan, until Saurel informs him as well that the acquisition for the account requires him to be in person for the signing in Geneva immediately. Jordan, not wanting the twenty million in the account to be seized by Saurel, sets sail to Monaco, where he will drive to Geneva to claim the account. This comes against the wishes of the captain, who tells Jordan that the storm will likely be dangerous to traverse through, which indeed it was, as the yacht capsizes during the trip. Jordan and the others are however saved by the Italian coastguard, and Jordan is able to recover the account, though it is quite shaken from the events of misfortune laid before him.

Jordan sobers up and seems to be heading into a more positive change for himself, until catastrophe strikes Saurel in 1998. During a trip with Rugrat in Miami, the duo are both arrested for laundering money. Specifically, Saurel was laundering drug money for the founder of Benihana, Rocky Aoki, and was unfortunate enough to be arrested for it on U.S. soil. Saurel however, in a plea deal, rats out Chantalle and their affair, which in turn leads to Jordan's money trips, all being publicized to the American authorities. Saurel's actions would devolve to effectively destroying Jordan's livelihood and business, with both men's luck having run out.

## Gallery

The Swiss BankerSaurel meets Jordan BelfortChantelle Bodnick transfers the money to SaurelSaurel is drunkenly called by Donnie AzoffSaurel convenes with Jordan, on the accounts holdingThe FBI detain Saurel in MiamiSaurel's arrestSaurel & Chantelle's affair