Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby has carefully crafted his persona, apparently, before Nick ever meets him in the narration we read. He is purposely mysterious, partly, as far as we can tell, because of his business, which he, we assume, wants to keep secret. It seems important for him to keep a low profile, at least as far as business is concerned.
His mystery also comes from the fact that in some circumstances he is reticent and shy. He is not comfortable in some social settings. Even at his well-attended and lavish parties, he barely talks to anyone. He seems to live very much within his own mind.
Part of his living within himself is also due to his obsession with Daisy. If you are not Daisy or somehow connected to Daisy, he really doesn't have any natural interest in talking to you.
Finally, his mystery is designed to captivate, specifically to captivate Daisy. Gatsby has an aura about him. He seems bigger than life (he is referred to as "great" in the title, though this is partially ironic), and he has to be, he thinks, to recapture Daisy.
Gatsby's own mystery, then, lends itself to rumors. You put a bigger-than-life figure in a mansion frequented by wealthy guests, and you will get rumors. Especially when he keeps his business affairs secret and his thoughts to himself.
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