REAL-life Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belfort is working with a training organisation that has received more than $10 million of taxpayers’ money.

An investigation by 7News and The Sunday Mail has uncovered links between Mr Belfort and employment company Career Pathways Australia.

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They deepened significantly after the one-time criminal held workshops for a related organisation this week.

The conman turned consultant, who was jailed and fined $110 million for ripping off investors in the 1980s, gave two workshops for staff of Face to Face Training, an organisation which got more than $6 million from taxpayers this financial year.

Face to Face is majority-owned by Paul Conquest, who also runs Career Pathways Australia, with both brands heavily promoted at one of the Belfort workshops held at Brisbane’s Eatons Hill Hotel.

Mr Belfort has downplayed his relationship with Face to Face, saying he had “no idea” about the background of the company or its funding.

But The Sunday Mail understands Mr Belfort has formed close ties to CPA, with the famous ex-con brokering deals on their behalf, coaching them with media enquiries and spruiking the business to potential clients.

The Sunday Mail also understands Mr Belfort has been engaged in ownership talks with the company, raising questions about its links to taxpayer-funded Face to Face.

Mr Conquest denied an ongoing business relationship with Mr Belfort and said he was hired for his expertise in business communication.

“I personally attended one of his workshops in 2014,” he said.

“I found that his ability to train in customer service and rapport building were the best I had experienced.”

Last financial year, Face to Face Training got $3.9 million from state government for its training and assessment services, and this year has already raked in a whopping $6.34 million of taxpayer funds.

Mr Conquest did not say how much Mr Belfort was paid but said taxpayers did not foot the bill. “We do a significant amount of fee for service training and profits from this portion of the business paid for Mr Belfort, not taxpayers,” he said.

Mr Belfort’s business partner Anne Koppe said: “He’s owned the mistakes, he’s done the time, he’s doing everything he can to pay the fine, and he’s still getting beaten down bypeople who want to be judgmental.”