The world of economics, finance, and big business has fascinated me since my teenage years. So, after finishing school, I decided to apply to the economics faculty of the largest and most prestigious university in my city. At that time, the "Finance - Banking" major was considered the most prestigious, with the highest competition for admission. Having graduated from school with honors, I only needed to pass one exam—mathematics, my strongest subject, in which I had even won several school math competitions. I scored the highest possible marks and was admitted to study "Banking."

Once I started university, I quickly realized that the standard curriculum wasn't enough for me. I began reading every book I could find on economics, finance, and business, along with analytical reports from leading financial news agencies. Within a few months, I discovered that what excited me most in finance was trading in financial markets and investment activities—not banking. I also believed that trading could generate significant profits in a short time (which, of course, turned out to be false). So, in my first year of university, I became deeply interested in trading and investments.

The day I turned 18, I went to open my first trading account and deposited around $150. Unfortunately, I started with the FOREX market, which was a big mistake, as it was one of the hardest markets to profit from. Unsurprisingly, I wiped out my first account in just a few days. I realized I needed to keep learning and find ways to fund my trading account. At 18, finding a decent job in finance was nearly impossible. I applied for trading analyst positions at several banks, but they all rejected me since I hadn't yet studied core financial disciplines (which were only covered in the third year of university). That’s when I decided to start my own business, as I always had an entrepreneurial mindset and never wanted to be an employee.

Since I had no startup capital, my options were limited. I built a website, registered my first company, and started offering analytical services and research related to investment activities in the real economy. Soon, I expanded into commercial real estate operations, as that sector was booming at the time. I also attempted to launch other businesses. During successful months, this activity could bring in several thousand dollars, which I reinvested into trading—but this time, not in FOREX. I had already studied stocks, futures, and options, so I focused on those markets instead.

By my third year at university, I also completed additional training at a financial school and was allowed to take the qualification exams for "Broker, Dealer, and Asset Manager in the Securities Market." At 20 years old, I obtained a certification required for leadership positions in brokerage and investment firms. However, this had nothing to do with my success in trading—it simply confirmed my deep understanding of investment activities but did not guarantee profitable trading, which required completely different skills.

Throughout my university years, my trading results were highly unstable. I could rapidly grow my trading account, only to lose most of my profits soon after. The same was true for my business—some months were highly profitable, while others brought almost nothing. The main reason was likely that I was not focused on a single direction. I had to juggle studying, running a business, trading in financial markets, and even attending sports training sessions, as I had always been passionate about sports.

After graduating with honors and a perfect GPA, I finally had much more free time to dedicate to growing my business and improving my trading. However, my trading results were still inconsistent—I periodically made major mistakes that led to significant losses. It took me several more years to refine my trading system and learn how to generate steady profits. Once I mastered it, I was able to earn up to $100,000 in just a few months. Over time, my trading only improved, turning into a full-fledged trading business.

I also managed to expand my business in commercial real estate and development. Today, we execute deals with large properties such as shopping malls, hotels, office buildings, and warehouses, spanning tens and even hundreds of thousands of square meters across multiple countries. Additionally, I actively invest in new business ventures—but that’s a different story, not for this website.

Now, I can confidently say that I have over 20 years of experience in trading and investments, which has allowed me to build significant capital. I also have deep expertise in commercial real estate, having analyzed thousands of properties over the years. My team and I have evaluated land plots for real estate development in major and small cities across dozens of countries, as well as shopping malls, hotels, office buildings, warehouses, and even entire businesses looking for buyers or funding.

As I approached my 20-year milestone in finance, I decided to launch a trading experiment in October 2024 to prove that success is possible even when starting almost from scratch. I deposited around $100 into a separate trading account, and by the 57th trading day, I had multiplied it over 100 times, surpassing $10,000. More details on the experiment >>