From Rags to Riches: A Day Trader's Tale of Fortunes and Foresight (2024)

FAQs

Who is the most profitable day trader ever? ›

Steve Cohen is arguably the most profitable hedge fund trader ever. His SAC Capital returned 30% annually for more than 20 years since its inception in 1992, making Cohen a billionaire.

Jesse Livermore (1877-1940) was an American trader who over his long and renowned career traded both bull and bear markets including the panic of 1907 and crash of 1929. He is most famous today for being the object of the best-selling Reminiscences of a Stock Operator written by Edwin Lefevre in 1923.

Legend has it Takashi Kotegawa started with the equivalent of $13,600. He benefited from some luck and a lot of skill to rack up $153 million in about eight years. Sometimes he made millions per trade. While primarily a stock trader, Takashi has been known to trade in a variety of financial instruments.

Key Takeaway: Day Trading Statistics

Low Success Rate: Only 13% of day traders maintain consistent profitability over six months, and a mere 1% succeed over five years. Financial Losses Predominate: 72% of day traders ended the year with financial losses, according to FINRA.

Day trading is a strategy in which investors buy and sell stocks the same day. It is rarely successful, with an estimated 95% loss percentage. Even if you do see a gain, it must be enough to offset fees and taxes, as well.

With a $10,000 account, a good day might bring in a five percent gain, which is $500. However, day traders also need to consider fixed costs such as commissions charged by brokers. These commissions can eat into profits, and day traders need to earn enough to overcome these fees [2].

Livermore was one of the most successful stock market traders of all time. His idea was to sell stock quickly after its price rose. In this way he actually made a fortune in 1929, when so many other people were losing everything they owned.

George Soros

He is one of the most popular and famous traders worldwide. In England, Soros worked as a waiter or railway porter before he graduated from the London School of Economics. This finally led him to the banking world when he became a merchant banker at Singer and Friedlander.

In 1929 Jesse Livermore's fortunes were at their zenith. He had made a profit of $100 million dollars shorting the markets during the great crash. Yet, by 1934, he was bankrupt. In just five short years one of the greatest stock-traders the world has known lost his entire $100 million fortune.

Kellogg has come a long way since starting off with $7,500 which is what he initially deposited when he started trading. His road to success wasn't a straight line. When he first attempted to trade, he was down a few hundred dollars. This led him to realize that he didn't know what he was doing.

Are there any billionaire day traders? ›

The top billionaire day traders, like Jim Simmons, Ken Griffin, and George Soros, have different ways of trading, but they all use a mix of technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and risk management to make their choices.

A classic Buffett quote indicates that he is no fan of day trading: “If you aren't willing to own a stock for 10 years, don't even think about owning it for 10 minutes.” This emphasis on holding a position for the long term means a very low level of trading activity.

Some professional traders make a living from day trading. If you enjoy this strategy enough and make it work for you, it could become your primary profession.

“Studies have shown that more than 97% of day traders lose money over time, and less than 1% of day traders are actually profitable” (Dave Ramsey, 2022). Almost everyone who attempts to day trade fails.