Gatsby introduces Nick to his notorious business partner Meyer Wolfsheim in chapter 4 when they meet for lunch in a Forty-Second Street cellar. Initially, Meyer mistakes Nick for someone interested in a "business gonnegtion" and mentions that Gatsby is an "Oggsford man" when he leaves to take a phone call. Meyer also informs Nick that he has known Gatsby for several years and met him shortly after he returned from war. Meyer says that Gatsby is a "man of fine breeding" and tells Nick, "There's the kind of man you'd like to take home and introduce to your mother and sister." Meyer does not go into specific details regarding his relationship with Gatsby and never mentions Tom Buchanan's name.

The only other time Nick speaks to Meyer Wolfsheim takes place after Gatsby's death. Nick tries to get in touch with Wolfsheim and invite him to Gatsby's funeral, but Wolfsheim purposely avoids him. As a career criminal and Gatsby's former business partner, Meyer tries to distance himself from the shocking situation and does not return any of Nick's calls.

Nick finally manages to have a face-to-face conversation with Wolfsheim, who recalls the first time he met Gatsby. He tells Nick that Gatsby was a "young major just out of the army and covered over with medals he got in the war." He also says Gatsby's uniform was the only pair of clothes he owned when he asked for a job. Meyer also remembers that Gatsby ate four dollars' worth of food when he took him out to lunch for the first time.

According to Meyer, he "raised him [Gatsby] up out of nothing, right out of the gutter." He knew that Gatsby was a "fine appearing, gentlemanly young man" and instantly hired him. Their business partnership grew, and Gatsby became a success. Despite being a close friend and former business partner, Meyer Wolfsheim refuses to attend Gatsby's funeral.

What does Mr. Wolfsheim tell Nick about Gatsby?

Meyer Wolfsheim tells Nick the truth about how he met Gatsby and how their business relationship developed. This is after Nick tracks him down, doing everything possible to make sure someone is at Gatsby's funeral. Wolfsheim reminisces about the first time he saw Gatsby.

“A young major just out of the army and covered over with medals he got in the war. He was so hard up he had to keep on wearing his uniform because he couldn’t buy some regular clothes. First time I saw him was when he come into Winebrenner’s poolroom at Forty-third Street and asked for a job. He hadn’t eat anything for a couple of days. ‘come on have some lunch with me,’ I sid. He ate more than four dollars’ worth of food in half an hour.”

There's certainly a discrepancy here between everyone's impressions of Gatsby and the reality. He struggled up from nothing, to build a mansion of illusions for Daisy. Before, we've only seen the glamorous, flashy Gatsby. But here is someone who knew him before, as a hungry, desperate young man. It seems as though Wolfsheim wants Nick to know that he found Gatsby; he even says he "made him." He explains it further:

“I raised him up out of nothing, right out of the gutter. I saw right away he was a fine-appearing, gentlemanly young man, and when he told me he was at Oggsford I knew I could use him good. Right off he did some work for a client of mine up to Albany. We were so thick like that in everything.”—he held up two bulbous fingers——” always together.”

In this short speech, Wolfsheim reveals the depths of his relationship with Gatsby, and hints at the criminal activity rumored to have funded Gatsby's fortune.