From $13,600 to 150 million — the incredible story of a Japanese trader who conquered the markets from his bedroom. For many of us, Takashi Kotegawa is a name we’ve never heard, even though he should have long since become a legend. Why? Because this mysterious man from Japan managed to do what almost all traders dream of.

The facts are impressive: Kotegawa started in 2001 with just $13,600 in real capital on the Japanese stock market. Eight years later, he turned it into $150 million. Yes, you read that right — $150 million from $13,600. And all of it from his desk in his bedroom. There are hardly any photos of him on the internet, and practically no interviews. That alone makes him legendary.

What did Takashi Kotegawa do differently? First: he traded during the dot-com bubble, when the market was collapsing. While others panicked, he systematically speculated on falling prices. His strategy was relatively simple, yet effective — he looked for stocks that were at least 20 percent below their 25-day average, used RSI and Bollinger Bands for confirmation, and then jumped in when trends reversed. Intraday trades, often closed within a single session, sometimes held overnight.

But the real story is the J-Com trade in 2005. The company had just had its IPO, and Takashi Kotegawa was, as always, sitting in front of his monitors. A trader at Mizuho Securities made a massive mistake — he placed a sell order for 610,000 shares at 1 Yen instead of 610,000 Yen per share. The price dropped dramatically. Kotegawa bought 7,100 shares at the bottom and sold as prices rose. His profit from that one day: $17 million. Back then. Today, it would be worth over $400 million. That trade made him the J-Com man.

What fascinates me most about Takashi Kotegawa? Not just the numbers, but who he became afterward. With $150 million, many of us would have long since bought Lamborghinis and gone on Instagram. Not Kotegawa. He stays humble, gives no interviews, and doesn’t flaunt his wealth. His only major investment was a new apartment — his bedroom was probably getting too small. It shows this: the man trades out of passion, not for money. The money is simply the yardstick of his success.

Takashi Kotegawa is more than just a trader with astronomical gains. He’s an example of how discipline, strategy, and the right market conditions can work wonders together. And yes, a bit of luck is also part of it — but only those who are prepared can make use of luck.