The Legendary Japanese Trader BNF: From $13,000 to $153 Million in Just 2 Years

I am fascinated by the story of this guy, Takashi Kotegawa, who is called BNF. I wonder if I would have had the guts to do what he did! Just imagine: turning $13,000 into $153 million... it almost makes me sick with jealousy!

Born in 1978 into a normal family in Ichikawa, this guy had no training in finance. He just watched TV, became passionate about the markets, and decided to dive in. While he was still a student, he worked like crazy to accumulate his starting capital. Hats off, even though I think I would have probably given up after two weeks.

His big hit? In 2005, a poor guy at Mizuho Securities made a monumental mistake: selling 610,000 shares at 1 yen instead of 1 share at 610,000 yen! BNF jumped at the opportunity like a vulture and pocketed $17 million in one go. Honestly, it wasn't really talent there, just being in the right place at the right time. I would have done the same!

But be careful, even geniuses mess up! In 2008, this "genius" of trading lost $10 million betting on American banks during the crisis. I love seeing that even the best can mess up royally.

What annoys me a bit about his story is that he treats trading like a video game. "A loss of $100,000 may be better than a gain of $6,000 if the losing deal was good and the winning deal was bad." Easy to say when you have millions in the bank!

His strategies for crypto? Stay calm, find a mentor, don't get emotionally attached to money... Basic advice that we hear everywhere! And frankly, today's markets are much more complex than they were in his time.

The most ironic thing? This guy didn't make his fortune through a brilliant strategy but by taking advantage of a mistake! Some call it genius, I call it legalized theft.

In short, its story is impressive, but don't forget that for every BNF, there are thousands of traders who have lost everything. Do you really think you can replicate that in crypto? Good luck!