Becoming wealthy from trading, is it possible?

After learning what trading with personal money entails, can one make serious money while still applying money management and considering all of the other factors like drawdown, etc.? I am not talking about prop trading or trade desks, I mean with ones own personal capital, I know there are some traders and hedge funds that had produced massive gains at one point (ie Paulson) and now are losing a lot of money. It seems like these types of trades or hedge funds are just taking gambles rather than applying sound money management, so my question is, when trading and applying solid money management could one still become very wealthy from doing so? Or would they be trading for a living but just barely getting by in terms of personal finances?

36 Comments
 
MartinghoulYes, but it's extremely difficult...
Like if I was able to find a trading strategy that is continuously profitable for years trading my own money, could I start a hedgefund?
Mps721
 

Mps721,

Is it possible to golf better than tiger woods? Yes but rare right. The odds of that happening are too subjective for me to answer for you.

Is it possible to make a career as a professional poker player? Once again, yes but rare. However, people do it and the "ones" who do it kill it.

Is it possible for you to rise through to the top of the corporate ladder and become a F500 executive? Yes but once again lol the odds are stacked against you.

My point is this. Yes it is possible from becoming wealthy from trading. Wont happen overnight. Probably wont happen for a really long time to be honest but just like anything else in life, you need to work at it to achieve success in it.

Thats my personal 2cents

 
wallstreetballaMps721,

Is it possible to golf better than tiger woods? Yes but rare right. The odds of that happening are too subjective for me to answer for you.

Is it possible to make a career as a professional poker player? Once again, yes but rare. However, people do it and the "ones" who do it kill it.

Is it possible for you to rise through to the top of the corporate ladder and become a F500 executive? Yes but once again lol the odds are stacked against you.

My point is this. Yes it is possible from becoming wealthy from trading. Wont happen overnight. Probably wont happen for a really long time to be honest but just like anything else in life, you need to work at it to achieve success in it.

Thats my personal 2cents

Thank you.
Mps721
 
wallstreetballaMps721,

Is it possible to golf better than tiger woods? Yes but rare right. The odds of that happening are too subjective for me to answer for you.

Is it possible to make a career as a professional poker player? Once again, yes but rare. However, people do it and the "ones" who do it kill it.

Is it possible for you to rise through to the top of the corporate ladder and become a F500 executive? Yes but once again lol the odds are stacked against you.

My point is this. Yes it is possible from becoming wealthy from trading. Wont happen overnight. Probably wont happen for a really long time to be honest but just like anything else in life, you need to work at it to achieve success in it.

Thats my personal 2cents

does the same thing apply for prop trading? What exactly does a prop trader do?
Mps721
 
whatwhatwhathave you ever bothered searching the board bro? jesus christ
Do you have anything better to do than to criticize people?
Mps721
 
SamuelClemensAsk Michael Marcus, Bruce Kovner, Paul Tudor Jones, Ed Seykota, etc.

They all made a ton trading

Makes sense but are they all cowboys? What I mean is are they just taking bets or are they following money management?
Mps721
 
Mps721
SamuelClemensAsk Michael Marcus, Bruce Kovner, Paul Tudor Jones, Ed Seykota, etc.

They all made a ton trading

Makes sense but are they all cowboys? What I mean is are they just taking bets or are they following money management?

They are definitely doing a lot more than just taking bets. Kovner now runs one of the world's most successful hedge funds.

 
Best Response

I'm bored during lunch break w/o any positions on, so I read through this thread for entertainment. Dude you got a great sense of humor. To answer your question and possibly end this thread, my answer is yes and no:

Yes one can become wealthy by trading and No, it won't be you. (Based on the way you think and the questions you ask)

Party's over.

Invest first, investigate later.
 
LCYMI'm bored during lunch break w/o any positions on, so I read through this thread for entertainment. Dude you got a great sense of humor. To answer your question and possibly end this thread, my answer is yes and no:

Yes one can become wealthy by trading and No, it won't be you. (Based on the way you think and the questions you ask)

Party's over.

Class A twat

 
LCYMI'm bored during lunch break w/o any positions on, so I read through this thread for entertainment. Dude you got a great sense of humor. To answer your question and possibly end this thread, my answer is yes and no:

Yes one can become wealthy by trading and No, it won't be you. (Based on the way you think and the questions you ask)

Party's over.

lol what makes you think that?
Mps721

Don't just do it for the sake of money. If you want to be a professional, just got to take time + effort + hell lot of persistent

Cross, Hook, Cover than Jab
 

Yes you can become wealthy, although its harder than it used to be. No it won't be through "solid money management." I know some people that still make a killing and some people that haven't been able to adapt over time. I'm talking commodity futures here btw. The guys that still have success leverage themselves using spreads and scale in and out. Basically the opposite of conventional risk management.

 

Quidem error tenetur quasi ipsum qui modi aut itaque. In explicabo soluta ut facilis blanditiis cumque at.

Sit ex repudiandae perferendis est commodi sunt. Aut quae nobis id enim. Inventore aut commodi animi cum.

Assumenda architecto hic vel a eum dolores sed fuga. Voluptatem et aperiam voluptas ducimus nostrum id. Tenetur recusandae enim hic soluta sed at magnam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”