This doesn't detail "how" a teenage entrepreneur built a startup on BTC riches. It's not a very exciting story, either.<p>Here's what happened: in early 2012, he put all his money into Bitcoin. Then he cashed out when they peaked (probably around December 2013). Then he used the money to start yet another e-learning business/service.<p>I don't see what the point of this article is. He used money that was given to him to bet on speculate on a wildly fluctuating asset, and came out lucky. Now he's trying to invest his money sensibly. So what?<p>To me, the only interesting part of this article is that he pays most of his employees in Bitcoin. The rest is just fluff.
Who would have thought... I've read about this boy a few days ago on Reddit (subforum <i>Entrepreneur</i>). Someone suggested that he should get his story in the media, because it's rather interesting (especially his age, and Bitcoin is still hot nowadays). A month later, here he is!<p><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/25u81a/im_15_and_i_have_20_people_working_for_me_all/chkzw5c" rel="nofollow">http://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/25u81a/im_15_a...</a>
This title "How a Teenager Entrepreneur Built a Startup on Bitcoin Riches" is misleading.<p>The kid took his grandma's money and bought and sold bitcoin at the right time.<p>His startup consists of himself and two other dudes.<p>This isn't Shawn Parker Napster impressive to me.<p>Is he smarter than your average 15 year old or myself when I was 15? Yeah but not that smart.
> When 15-year-old Erik Finman turned a $1,000 Easter gift from his grandma into $100,000 after cashing in on his Bitcoin investment, he wasn’t all like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece.<p>It would be kind of difficult to buy a Maybach with $100,000 given that even a used one costs more than that.<p>Putting the article's heavy dose of fluff aside, it would be interesting to know if Finman paid capital gains on the $100,000. Additionally, if he truly has "employees" that he's paying in Bitcoin, it would be interesting to know if he's properly doing withholding, since you have to pay that in USD.