You know, I recently remembered the story of a guy who, at 12 years old, realized that traditional school wasn’t his path. He saw Bitcoin on a stranger’s T-shirt, and that’s where it all started. Eric Finman received a thousand dollars from his grandmother and bought about a hundred bitcoins when they were worth $10 each. It sounds like an ordinary story, but the story gets more interesting from there.

The guy didn’t just hold and wait. For three years, he focused solely on trading crypto, studying the market every day. At the end of 2013, he sold his bitcoins for $1,200 each and made a move that many would be afraid to make — he dropped out of school. His parents agreed but set a condition: if he became a millionaire before 18, he could forget about college.

Now that’s motivation. Especially when a teacher once told him to go work at McDonald's. Finman even wrote him a letter later to prove he achieved more. At 14, he launched a startup called Botangle for online education because he hated traditional school himself.

The process wasn’t easy. In meetings with investors, he wasn’t taken seriously just because he was a teenager. One director from a big company even said he’d never beat his parents. But Eric kept going. He sold Botangle for $100,000 or 300 bitcoins. Bitcoin then dropped to $200 per coin, but he chose crypto. He knew what he was doing.

While working on other projects, including collaborating with NASA, his bitcoins grew in value. By 18, Eric Finman won a bet — he became a Bitcoin millionaire. The price soared above $2,700 per coin, and he seized the moment. According to the data at that time, he entered the top 5 crypto millionaires in the world.

Now, this guy is focused on the Freedom Phone — a smartphone marketed as completely uncensored, prioritizing free speech and privacy. After 10 years in the crypto industry, Finman realized there are plenty of investment opportunities; the main thing is to be able to analyze and be cautious. He says that if you don’t become a millionaire in the next 10 years, it’s your fault. It sounds bold, but the guy knows what he’s talking about.