Chapter 20
Chapter 20
"Hyun-woo Na: The Young Legend Hit the Jackpot with 300x Returns from the COVID-19 Pandemic"
Today, the Wall Street was abuzz with the emergence of an investor who recorded a historic return of over 300 times through TVIX Option trading.
Contrary to the market's prediction that the protagonist of the Jackpot would be an ordinary investor who had seized a stroke of luck, it was Hyun-woo Na, a financial expert from Wall Street.
His extremely bold and aggressive investment strategy stemmed from the confidence based on the report he wrote, [The Coming Global Pandemic, Wuhan Pneumonia].
The Report that Became the Basis of the Strategy
In the report, he noted that the basic reproduction number (R₀) of SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19 virus, was estimated to be about 2.2.
This is an important indicator of the potential spread of an epidemic, and compared to SARS and MERS, which are in the same coronavirus family, the COVID-19 value meant a higher possibility of transmission.
In addition, pointing out that the average incubation period of 2 to 14 days and asymptomatic infected people can also transmit the virus, he warned that COVID-19 could spread widely through airborne transmission.
Confident and Bold Investment Strategy
Based on a vast amount of 200 pages and in-depth analysis from various aspects, he adopted an investment strategy using volatility indices such as TVIX.
The strategy was conceived from the fact that while a typical short position earns profits as the market falls, investing in volatility indices can pursue greater profits in extreme market situations.
It was a strategy that could not be executed without complete confidence in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unnoticed Report
In January 2020, when the world had not yet recognized the seriousness of COVID-19.
He published this report under the title 'The Coming Global Pandemic, Wuhan Pneumonia' on his Twitter account (@AlphaMind_1999).
However, this report went unnoticed. Due to a lack of sufficient awareness of the severity of the COVID-19 virus, even those who happened to come across this report overlooked or ignored it.
But the true value of this report appeared as he later recorded a historic return of over 300 times through TVIX Option trading.
By recognizing the risk of the pandemic early and adopting an investment strategy for volatility indices, he and his investors became the protagonists of the historic Jackpot.
As a result, the report, which had been neglected at the time, was re-examined and evaluated as an important document that warned of the pandemic early on.
March 18, 2020, 23:30 EDT
By Emily Harper, Bloomberg Reporter"
* * *
[The article is up. It's on the main page. I sincerely thank you and look forward to seeing you again next time.]
It was placed on the main screen.
One of the three main articles below the main article.
There, Hyun-woo Na.
My name is accurately embedded.
I went out to the living room with the article displayed on my phone.
In the dark living room without light, I saw Mom lying quietly on the bedding.
A sight that is not common in ordinary families here was even more heartbreaking today.
"Mom. I'm sorry, but get up for a second."
It will be too late by tomorrow morning.
I didn't want our victory to be known through other media or people.
That was by no means the courtesy to a comrade who had overcome many battles together so far.
I could feel the passage of time in Mom's figure, slowly getting up.
After sniffing, I said.
"Should I turn on the lights?"
"Why are you being so scary? You're scaring Mom. What's going on?"
When I turned on the lights, I could see Mom's worried eyes, rubbing her eyes and checking me again.
In case your son sees ghosts again.
In case they get a terrible disease and suffer a lot.
Mom's eyes, which I could only see in my childhood memories, are now directed at me again.
"It's good news. It's such good news that Mom might be surprised and fall over. Prepare yourself."
While speaking, I could feel the trembling in my voice.
There was no way Mom wouldn't notice.
Mom's eyes became even more worried and cleared one side of the blanket so that I could sit in front of her.
"Remember when we went to Korea last time? At the Starbucks in the airport, that. It succeeded."
Mom looked at me for a moment, speechless.
Then, realizing the meaning of my words, she suddenly brightened up and started clapping her hands.
"That's great! That's great! That's so great!"
If it was a normal small success, I wouldn't have woken up Mom who was asleep.
Mom celebrated as much when I was accepted to Princeton and when I got into Goldman Sachs, but no.
This success was the moment when all the struggles our family had gone through since immigrating finally came to fruition.
Getting into Princeton and getting into Goldman Sachs were all.
It was just a process of dreaming of this moment.
"Look where Mom's son's name is on."
With those words, I handed my phone to Mom.
Mom took the phone and looked at the screen, widening her eyes and looking back and forth between me and the phone. Mom knows too.
The meaning of having her name on Bloomberg.
That a path to even greater success than the success we have achieved now is open―
That was the story of my vague dream that I had been telling Mom since I was old enough to understand.
But now it is a reality that unfolds before our family.
Mom looked at the phone screen and read the article in detail.
Soon Mom's hands began to tremble. Her eyes hurriedly chased the letters on the screen. She seemed to be trying to catch her breath mixed with emotion.
"Our son... you... you've worked so hard..."
Mom's voice trembled with tears, and in the end, I couldn't hold back any longer.
I thought there were no more tears left to shed.
But it wasn't.
Tears also flowed down my face. My throat is choked up so I can't say anything.
The sound of us crying out loud filled this small space.
Then, Mom's crying stopped abruptly at a word I threw.
"Mom, we have to move tomorrow. Let's go to Manhattan."
* * *
Last night, so many calls poured in that I couldn't fall asleep without setting sleep mode.
As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning and turned off sleep mode, a crazy vibration began to ring in my palm.
Not a short vibration, but a heavy tremor that continues without a break.
Weeing. Weeeeing-
If the phone was on the table, it might have rolled off, dancing on it.
"It never ends."
The pop-up notification window couldn't keep up with the speed.
I paused for a few seconds.
But soon the vibration started again, and notifications from emails, messages, and various apps exploded like crazy.
Meanwhile, Mom had started her morning activities earlier than usual.
I could hear the TV in the living room, and soon my name was mentioned.
The news anchor with the familiar voice was Becky Quick of CNBC's business news program, Squawk Box.
"His strategy wasn't just lucky. Looking at the report, he was already accurately predicting the pandemic at that point."
When I opened the door, I was met with Mom's smile.
She seemed sorry that the news on TV had woken me up, but her face was full of pride.
Mom looked at me with a bright smile and raised her thumb. She was pressing the remote control to turn down the TV volume.
"Good morning, son!"
I just smiled and slowly walked towards the kitchen.
After drinking a glass of water, I finished my morning preparation routine by taking a shower.
When I came back to my room, the phone had been moved slightly from its original position.
The phone must have been really dancing on the bed as it vibrated violently.
Most of the messages were from alumni from my school days.
The contents are all similar.
Congratulations, you're doing well, I heard your news, when are you going to have a party, etc.
A string of formal phrases followed.
The reason why everyone was pouring out messages so freely was.
Because I had contacted these hundreds of people directly to recruit investors.
At that time, no one but Jason replied.
But that guy was quiet even last night.
Next, it was time to run the Twitter app.
Pop!
[AlphaMind(@AlphaMind_1999)
0 Following 63,710 Followers]
Indeed, the number of followers had increased dramatically overnight.
63,710 people.
No, 63,713 people.
When I refreshed again, it was 63,717 people.
The number of followers keeps increasing every time I refresh.
When I refreshed one more time.
The number jumped to 63,725 people.
The Twitter account, which had been sealed as a ghost account with zero followers for the past two months, was burning hot.
I can't check all the tens of thousands of followers.
The so-called blue badge.
Accounts with blue marks that are only given to credible figures or companies.
I decided to focus on browsing only verified accounts.
The first account I found while scrolling was Ben Carlson, an executive at Ritholtz Wealth Management.
『Ritholtz Wealth Management
• Assets Under Management: $1.3 Billion』
What made me stop scrolling next was a real big shot that needs no further explanation.
"Charles Schwab?"
『Charles Schwab Co.
• Assets Under Management: $4.5 Trillion』
My finger paused the moment I saw his name.
The founder of Charles Schwab Corporation, that's Charles Schwab. Next to his name, a blue badge indicating a verified account was flashing.
Charles Schwab.
He was not just a financier. He was a pioneer who shook the financial industry.
His greatest innovation was opening more doors to individual investors.
In the past, only high-net-worth individuals or large institutions could access the stock market.
Since he introduced the concept of 'discount brokerage', opportunities have been provided to individual investors.
As a result, he was the one who made it easy for anyone to trade stocks online.
A real big shot's institution is following me.
Of course, I pressed the follow back button and scrolled down.
Immediately following, another famous person associated with Charles Schwab Corporation appeared.
That person is Chief Investment Strategist Liz Ann Sonders.
She is a well-known figure who often appears on major financial media such as CNBC and Bloomberg and is a Wall Street expert who provides analysis of economic trends and the stock market.
Before that surprise could fade, another big shot appeared on the list.
Cathie Wood of ARK Invest.
『ARK Invest
• Assets Under Management: $6.7 Billion』
Cathie Wood was one of the hottest people right now, having built a reputation with an investment strategy focused on future technology and innovation.
A person who is gaining fame with an investment strategy focused on future technology and innovation.
Before the COVID-19 era, behind Tesla leading the crazy tech stock market, there were people like her who had been playing the role of propaganda officer.
Her role was significant in creating an innovative image for Tesla, beyond just a car manufacturer, as if it were an IT company.
Another name caught my eye as I continued to scroll down.
"Bill Ackman..."
『Pershing Square Capital Management
• Assets Under Management: $7.5 Billion』
Bill Ackman also appeared in front of me as one of the big shots following me.
If it weren't for this person, I wouldn't have been able to cleanly sell off the TVIX stock without a big slippage.
If he is someone who predicted the pandemic early like me, he may also be preparing for the New World where Helicopter Money will be sprinkled.
Every time I scrolled down, the blue marks that caught my eye made a small smile on my face.
Just before, Wells Fargo and Fidelity with blue marks passed by quickly. Official accounts of major investment banks are following me.
Billionaires like Marc Andreessen have also started looking at me.
But even Leonardo DiCaprio and Kanye West?
I paused for a moment.
Even people who are not directly involved in Wall Street have started to appear.
Of course, these are people who have a knack for investing.
But the fact that they are showing such direct interest in following me so quickly was an excessively fast pace.
It could only be seen as the story has leaked.
It was clear that the information that I would soon be launching a hedge fund had already spread outside.
The Securities and Exchange Commission would not be talking about the news of such a fledgling.
Then, there is a high possibility that the information leaked from Anthony Noto of Sofaie.
Or Marcus's family.
Since they also have a considerable network, the information would have spread in both directions.
"Ah……."
I couldn't be more grateful.