Cryptocurrencies have changed the way people make money.
Since its creation in 2008, bitcoin made possible the rise of new-age millionaires. The pioneers who saw bitcoin potential were not investors from Wall Street but people with different backgrounds, from entrepreneurs to teenagers. Though the reasons for cryptocurrency investments for each of them were different, they all saw the opportunity to invest in something that is going to be part of our future.
Here are five people who got insanely rich from investing in cryptocurrencies.
“Bitcoin is one of the most important inventions in all of human history. For the first time ever, anyone can send or receive any amount of money with anyone else, anywhere on the planet, conveniently and without restriction. It’s the dawn of a better, more free world.” – Roger Ver
Charlie Shrem
In 2011, Charlie Shrem was a college senior when he started investing his money in bitcoins. When he lost all his bitcoins because the bitcoin service he was using crashed and Shrem lost everything, he partnered up with Gareth Nelson to open BitInstant. BitInstant was a service company charging a small fee for converting dollars to bitcoins. Shrem spent over a year in prison due to BitInstant’s implication with the dark market The Silk Road. However, it did not stop him from believing in cryptocurrencies as a means to make money.
Today he has a net value of $40 million.
Eric Finman
Eric Finman was only 12 years old when he started investing in Bitcoin. Confident to dedicated his time to bitcoin investment, he dropped out of school and promised his parents he would go to college if he was not a millionaire before he turned 18.
He started his cryptocurrency business buying $1000 worth of bitcoins. Today his net worth is about $5 million.
Inspired by his bad experience with the public education system, he founded Botangle, a dynamic online school offering tutoring services in programming, design, and marketing.
Nick Chong via Unsplash
Vitalik Buterin
Vitalik Buterin is the founder of Etherum, who now has a net value of over $200 million. A prodigy computer scientist and writer, Buterin started in cryptocurrencies when he was 17 years old.
He started his career exchanging his writing with bitcoins in Bitcoin Weekly and later in Bitcoin magazine, a magazine he co-founded.
In 2015 he launched Etherum, the second-largest cryptocurrency after bitcoin. In 2018, he was part of the Forbes 30 under 30 list.
Roger Ver
A libertarian who pleaded guilty for selling explosives illegally on eBay, Roger Ver is one of the first bitcoins promoters who gave him the nickname Bitcoin Jesus.
Ver saw the bitcoin potential since he first learned about it in 2011. He made his Memorydealers company the first business in the world for accepting bitcoins.
Apart from that, he became the first person to invest in Bitcoin startups such as bitcoin.com, blockchain.com, and even Charlie Shrem’s BitInstant. He continues to promote Bitcoin as a means of exchange for mainstream businesses.
Recent reports show that he has over 100,000 bitcoins valuing over $500 million.
Eddy Zillan
At the age of 15, Eddy Zillan made his first $100 purchase of cryptocurrency ether and earned $10 within a few hours. Thrilled by the fast profit, Zillan went on to invest all $12,000 of his savings. Today his cryptocurrency investment portfolio values over $1 million.
The 21 years old attributes his success to the countless hours he spent learning about cryptocurrency investment. Now he spent his time investing in cryptocurrencies and offering consulting services on that matter.
