American Eric Finman first learned about digital money during a protest in Washington, D.C., that he attended with his brother. Seeing a guy wearing a Bitcoin shirt, he asked what Bitcoin was.
“This is what will end Wall Street,” his brother replied.
In 2011, at the age of 12, Eric bought $1,000 worth of coins, using all the money his grandmother had given him. At the time, the exchange rate was just $10 per bitcoin.
For the next 3 years, Eric just studied and traded coins a little. At the age of 15, Finman dropped out of school and argued with his parents. The guy said that if he earned $1 million by the age of 18, he would not go to college and study further.
Eric immediately sold some of his bitcoins, earning $100,000. He invested the proceeds in his first business, which he started in his own room. Finman disliked his school so much that he decided to create his own educational company, Botangle. In it, teachers conducted classes remotely via video chat. After 2 years, Eric sold his business for 300 bitcoins.
When Bitcoin's price exceeded $2.7 thousand, 17-year-old Finman officially became a millionaire. He won the argument with his parents - and instead of going to college, he began traveling the world.
In 2025, Eric has an 8-figure net worth, actively invests in innovative and energy projects, and dreams of sending his own "time capsule" to the Moon.
