Was Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby based on a real person?

Quick Answer. Jay Gatsby, the character from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel "The Great Gatsby," was a fictional person. Fitzgerald once confessed to a friend that there was a bit of himself in Gatsby. read more

A man who was known to build many of his stories around people or events of his own experience, has shown evidence of developing Jay Gatsby on a real life bootlegger acquaintance name Max Gerlach. Reportedly one of Fitzgerald’s primary suppliers of illicit liquor during the same period, Gerlach - like Gatsby - was an ex WW1 officer turned bootlegger with a love for the parties. read more