Have you ever heard of Takashi Kotegawa? Probably not, and that’s exactly what makes him interesting. This Japanese trader is an absolute legend in intraday trading, but hardly anyone knows his face. Instead, people know his numbers: $13,600 starting capital, $150 million profit in 8 years. That’s the kind of story whispered among traders.

What makes Takashi Kotegawa so fascinating is not only the sheer size of his profits but also the fact that he achieved all of this from his bedroom. In the early 2000s, during the dot-com bubble, he started with the Japanese stock market. The Nikkei 225 was in free fall — for many, a catastrophe; for Kotegawa, an opportunity. He speculated on declines, exploited bear markets, and made millions doing so.

The strategy was actually quite simple once you knew what to look for. Kotegawa used Bollinger Bands and RSI to identify oversold conditions. Then he bought stocks that were at least 20% below the 25-day moving average and sold them on the next rally — often the same day. Sounds simple? It is. But it requires discipline and the right market phase.

The absolute highlight was 2005. A trader at Mizuho Securities made a stupid mistake: he wanted to sell 1 share of J-Com Holdings for 610,000 yen but placed an order for 610,000 shares at 1 yen. The price collapsed. Takashi Kotegawa was alert enough to see this. He bought 7,100 shares at the bottom and made $17 million in a single day. Since then, he’s known as the “J-Com Man.”

What impresses me most about Takashi Kotegawa is not just his trading talent but also his character. With $150 million in the bank, I’d probably have bought a Ferrari long ago and drive it everywhere. Kotegawa? He simply bought a new apartment because his bedroom became too small. He rarely gives interviews, hides from the public, and lives modestly. He’s a trader who trades out of love for the game, not for the money.

The lesson here is clear: Kotegawa shows that it’s possible to succeed in the markets from home. But it takes patience, the right strategy, and above all: discipline. Not every day will bring $17 million, but if you know what you’re doing, the opportunities can be real. Takashi Kotegawa is proof of that.