Page 20 - THE MARKET WHISPERER

THE MARKET WHISPERER 19

one big hit. I also wanted to move into a lower gear and be closer to my
family. In short, I wanted to make millions without working too hard.

There are very few legal ways to earn large sums quickly. I reviewed
the options, and chose an area I’d always loved: stock trading. From short-
term trading, so I’d heard, you could get rich quick.

I did very well. Within five years I was able to leave hi-tech, repay all
my debts, and become very comfortable. I went from a negative balance
of millions of dollars to a surplus of several million. I live the American
dream. The stock market made my dream come true. How did it happen?

It was harder than I imagined!

It’s amazing how things are cyclical. Just thirteen years ago, I was still a
diligent hi-tech employee with no clue about the markets. The only thing I
did know was that loads of money shifted there, and I was determined to
get my hands on some of it.

My first problem, which everyone wishing to succeed must face, was:
should I give up my salary? Should I take the risk, leave my job, and try a
new direction? Only very few are prepared to do that. Most of us are just
too scared, and for good reason. I understood that if I were to realize my
dream, I’d have to take that risk.

Back then, I thought stock trading would be child’s play. I opened an
account with a broker (I’ll explain how and why later) and innocently
believed I’d succeed to buy cheap and sell high. How did that first year
end? With a loss, of course. Now, twelve years later, I know I was clueless,
lacked experience, and was somewhat arrogant. In actuality, I was ripe
prey for the pros. It took me a long time to discover that behind every stock
market deal are two sides: the pro and the idiot. For the first year, I usually
filled the role of the latter.

Score: 1-0 for the Market

There are moments in life that become etched in our memories until the
day we die. Do you remember where you were when the Twin Towers
came down? I certainly do. Similarly, I remember my very first transaction.

On the day I opened my first trading account, I rushed to buy 1000
stocks of TEVA Pharmaceuticals. My very first trade! I was so excited. I
remember my pulse hammering away. The whole thing was a rush. I didn’t
see or hear anything else around me, I was so thrilled. The outside world
just seemed to disappear. There was a cone of silence, inhabited only by
me and my stocks.