At 12 years old, most kids would be obsessed with games, toys, and snacks, but Erik Finman made a different decision.
When he received a $1,245 red envelope from his grandmother, he invested all the money into Bitcoin, which was only two years old, without any hesitation.
At the time, Bitcoin was trading at just $12, and Finman used the money to buy a total of 103 Bitcoins.
At that time, Bitcoin was not yet widely known to the public and was even regarded by many as an extremely risky investment.
However, Finman took this crucial step with his keen intuition and courage. His decision was not accidental. Perhaps it was when his brother took him to the Occupy Wall Street protests and he first came into contact with Bitcoin, he was attracted by this emerging digital currency. From then on, his life was closely connected with Bitcoin.
Although the rise of Bitcoin has brought Finman huge wealth, his campus life is not satisfactory. He is deeply dissatisfied with his high school life, and the negative attitude of his teachers bothers him!
One of the teachers even suggested that he drop out of school and work at McDonald's, which made Finman more determined. He began to think about how to get out of this predicament, and Bitcoin seemed to be his hope.
2. Dropping out of school to start a business and challenge tradition
1. Difficulties in high school and the decision to drop out
When Erik Finman was in high school, he was extremely disappointed with his high school life. Most of the teachers he met were very negative, and one teacher even ridiculed him and asked him to drop out of school and work at McDonald's.
This negative educational environment made Erik feel depressed and helpless. He knew very well that this educational model was not suitable for him.
So, at the age of 15, Erik resolutely told his parents that he wanted to drop out of school.
Naturally, his parents were firmly opposed to it. After all, in traditional concepts, academics are an important path to success. But Erik, who was eager to prove himself, did not give up. He made a promise with his parents: if he could become a millionaire before the age of 18, he would not be forced to go to college.
This agreement is not only a challenge to his parents, but also a challenge for Erik to his own future.
2. The start of the entrepreneurial journey
In order to achieve his goal, Erik decided to use the funds from selling Bitcoin to start his own business. At the end of 2013, the price of Bitcoin rose, and Erik sold 103 Bitcoins for $1,200 in exchange for $120,000 in entrepreneurial assets.
He used the money to start an online education company called Botangle, which aims to help students like him who are frustrated with the education system find teachers through video chat.
Erik hired designers and programmers from all over the world and quickly created the platform. Botangle has more than 50 courses on different topics, including "Bitcoin" and "Entrepreneurship", and even some unpopular courses such as "Horse Nutrition". In the process of creating the website, Erik found that the best way to educate is to learn by doing.
The entrepreneurial process was not smooth sailing. He recalled an interview with a "very, very senior" Uber manager who not only did not listen to his Botangle plan, but also told him that he would never win the bet with his parents.
But Erik was not defeated by these difficulties. He firmly believed that his choice was correct and continued to work hard to run his company.
3. How to Become a Millionaire
1. The right life choice
In the process of starting a business, Erik Finman faced an important decision. In January 2015, Botangle was spotted by investors, who offered two options: $100,000 or 300 bitcoins, when the price of bitcoin had dropped to just over $200 per coin.
Finman had no hesitation in choosing the lower value Bitcoin because he firmly believed it was “the next big thing.”
When his parents asked him why he didn't choose the higher value of $100,000 in cash, he explained: "I see it (Bitcoin) as an investment."
This decision demonstrated his keen insight into the market and his firm belief in it.
It turned out that his judgment was correct. Over time, the value of Bitcoin continued to rise, laying a solid foundation for his wealth accumulation.
2. Promised Victory
Fast forward to June 2017, when Finman is now 18 years old.
His assets totaled 403 bitcoins plus several altcoins, and the price of bitcoin at the time was $2,700 per bitcoin.
In other words, the total value of Bitcoin he held was US$1.08 million, just enough to fulfill the million-dollar agreement with his parents within the deadline.
Finman happily stated: "I can proudly say that I succeeded, and I am not going to college."
He proved with his actions that his original choice was correct, and also achieved a gorgeous transformation from an ordinary teenager to a millionaire.
Finman also predicted in 2017 that Bitcoin would reach $100,000 within ten years. Looking back now, Finman's vision was indeed sharp.
Currently, Bitcoin has reached 94,000 US dollars, and 100,000 US dollars is just around the corner. It will break through today or maybe tomorrow!
It can be said that the vision of a genius can also make us sigh at the luck of ordinary people!
4. Erik Finman’s story brings us many inspirations
At the age of 12, he showed courage and determination beyond his age and dared to invest all his funds in Bitcoin, which was not widely recognized by the public at that time.
When faced with the difficulties of high school education, Finman did not choose to endure silently, but bravely made the decision to drop out of school and start a business.
Dare to challenge tradition and find a development path that suits you. When we find that the existing environment is not suitable for us, we must have the courage to change and pursue the life we really want.
Finman’s firm belief in investment decisions is also worth learning. When faced with a choice, he chose Bitcoin without hesitation, firmly believing that this is the “next big trend.”
This firm belief has allowed him to go further on the road of investment.
We also need to have such a belief in our lives. Whether in investment or other aspects, we must believe in our own judgment and stick to our choices.
