The "Moral Compass" Of London

15th May 2014

The moral compass of the British public was put to the test this week, with a hidden camera experiment, aiming to determine whether or not the average Londoner would pocket £1000 found on the streets of the city.

To celebrate the release of The Wolf of Wall Street on Blu-ray™ and DVD from 19 May 2014, which sees broker Jordan Belfort resort to underhand tactics to become rich beyond his wildest dreams, a series of hidden cameras were set up on the back streets of East London, where a tempting wad of £20 notes laid in wait, ready to test the moral compass of the city.

The experiment began when the first passer-by Sam Elobeid, 23 from Whitechapel, walked straight into the trap. Following a few brisk glances over the shoulder and a slight bend of the knee, he swooped in for the money. Little did the he realise that, ready and waiting behind a street corner, stood a half-naked marching band accompanied by stunning majorette girls, inspired by Jordan Belfort’s own Stratton Oakmont office party entertainment. On the money-grabbing cue, the band marched from their hiding place and surprised the unsuspecting target with the loud and outrageous sights and sounds of a The Wolf of Wall Street office party.

Elobeid said, “I was walking to work and I saw £1,000 bundle of cash just sitting there. I just stared and thought ‘wow’, I could pick it up and maybe call someone to hand it in. Then this band came and surprised me, they’re a little underdressed maybe… truly a shock!”

Throughout the day, over two hundred Londoners, from all walks of life including an old lady, groups of city workers and local builders passed the surveillance spot. A whopping 75% swooped in for the cash and the money was stashed in pockets, bags and even a pram. Some brave passers-by begun to simply stroll off with the money in hand, but no-one escaped unnoticed. Each and every one was greeted by a loud, brash procession of the half-dressed marching brass best online casino band and gorgeous baton-twirling ladies. What followed was a series of shocked, awestruck and somewhat embarrassed reactions, all of which were caught on camera.

Margaret Brown, 82 retired from Bethnal Green was caught on camera picking up the money, said “I thought it was my birthday! Then this lot came at me, all dressed up and blowing trumpets….if you can call it dressed up, they had no clothes on! If I had kept the money I probably would have taken a holiday to Clacton in a caravan.”

Gennardo Boccia, from Shoreditch said, “I was on my way to work and I saw this big pile of £20 notes. I thought, ok, no work today, let”s go to the West End and go shopping instead. But then these guys came and scared me, the whole band with majorettes and trumpets. What would I really do with the money if I had kept it? A little shopping, but mostly just pay bills.”

The footage captured suggests London could be a city worthy of Jordan Belfort’s ‘Wolf’ title. Check out the full video footage of the Are You Wolf Enough? experiment below:

Indulge in the real exhilarating journey of excess, beginning with the innocent American dream and catapulting through a true story of corporate greed and extravagance beyond expectations, with the BAFTA© and Academy Award® nominated The Wolf of Wall Street. Reuniting Academy Award® winning director Martin Scorsese and acting legend Leonardo DiCaprio (The Great Gatsby, Django Unchained), starring alongside Jonah Hill (21 Jump Street, Superbad), Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, Magic Mike) Margot Robbie (About Time) and Rob Reiner (New Girl, 30 Rock), The Wolf of Wall Street powers onto Blu-ray™ and DVD – both with UltraViolet – from 19th May 2014.

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