| Similarity | Jay-Z | Jay Gatsby |
|---|---|---|
| Uses Pseudonym | Real Name: Sean Carter | Real Name: James Gatz |
| Filthy Rich | Forbes Estimnated Net Worth: $500 million | Forbes Estimated Net Worth: $600 million |
| Self-Made | Born to poor family in BedStuy, Brooklyn. | Born to poor family in North Dakota. |
| Handy with the Steel | Admitted in lyrics he once shot his brother at age 12 for stealing his jewelry. | Commanded heavy machine guns during WWI. |
| School Dropout | Dropped out of Trenton High School. | Dropped out of St. Olaf College in Minnesota. |
| Crappy Early Job | Crack dealer | Janitor |
| Early Mentor | Rapper Jaz-O | Silver baron Dan Cody |
| Long Island Digs | Rents 31,000 sq. ft. home in Bridgehampton. | 12-bedroom mansion in fictional West Egg. |
| Wealthy Frenemy | Nas | Tom Buchanan |
| Gangster Associate(s) | Too many to list | Meyer Wolfsheim |
| Booze | Made millions as co-brand director of Budweiser Select, Armadale Vodka, and 40/40 nightclubs. | Made his fortune through bootlegging during Prohibition. |
| Sports Connection | Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who gave him a small piece of the Brooklyn Nets. | Meyer Wolfsheim, who allegedly fixed the 1919 World Series. |
| Gracious Host | Partied with everyone from Barack Obama to Coldplay. | Holds weekend-long parties open to all comers at his West Egg mansion. |
| Told His Story | In the memoir, Decoded | To pal Nick Carraway |
| Big in France | Recorded the French anthem 'Niggas in Paris' at 5-star Hotel Meurice in Paris. | Decorated for valour for efforts in the Marne and the Argonne during World War I. |
| Political Connections | Did Barack Obama a favor by endorsing him in 2008 and 2012. | Did a favor for police commissioner, gets him out of speeding tickets. |
| Outrageous Rumor | Is member of the Illuminati. | Was a German spy during World War I. |
| Color Obsession | Blue, as in daughter Blue Ivy, numerous Blueprint albums. | Green, as in the green light he's fixated on in the distance. |
| Hot Wheels | Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport | Yellow Rolls-Royce |
| Once scolded by De Niro |
For not returning his phone calls, at DiCaprio's birthday party. | DiCaprio was, repeatedly, in the movie This Boy's Life. |