Skip to site content
Mini Show

I Accidentally Made $1,000,000 (Here’s How)

The market has been wild lately—volatile enough to resemble an EKG chart. But amidst all that chaos, something completely unexpected happened: I accidentally made nearly $1 million in a single day.

⚠️ Important Warning:
Do not try this yourself. It was a perfect storm—an extremely rare scenario. Trying to replicate it could blow up in your face.

What Happened?

  • I was doing tax-loss harvesting—a strategy where you:

    • Sell investments at a loss,

    • Buy similar (but not identical) ones to keep market exposure,

    • Use the losses to offset capital gains and reduce taxes.

  • On the morning of April 9, I:

    • Placed a sell order for a mutual fund.

    • Simultaneously placed a buy order for an ETF (Exchange-Traded Fund).

The Key Difference: ETFs vs. Mutual Funds

  • Mutual Funds:
    Orders execute at the end of the day at the fund’s net asset value (NAV).

  • ETFs:
    Traded like stocks, bought and sold throughout the day at market prices.

Why This Worked So Perfectly

  • My ETF buy order executed early in the day—at a lower price.

  • That same day, the market jumped by 9.12% (the 3rd best trading day since WWII).

  • My mutual fund sell order executed after the market surged—at a much higher price.

Result: I captured gains twice from the same market movement:

  • Bought low with the ETF.

  • Sold high with the mutual fund.

Why This Was a Total Fluke

This “double win” was a once-in-a-lifetime scenario. Here’s why:

  1. Massive market swings are rare

    • Average daily market movement is < 1%.

    • April 9 saw a 9.5% swing.

  2. Perfect timing is almost impossible

    • You have to be right twice (entry and exit).

    • Even most pros can’t time the market reliably.

    • Over 94% of active fund managers fail to beat the S&P 500 over 20 years.

  3. It could’ve gone the other way

    • If I’d sold the ETF and bought the mutual fund, I might have lost $1 million.

Don’t Fall for the Hype

  • Social media and online “gurus” often show massive day-trading wins.

  • What they don’t show: the dozens who lose money trying to do the same.

The Real Path to Wealth

Forget trying to hit financial home runs. Instead, focus on:

  • Consistency over hype.

  • Discipline over drama.

  • Long-term investing over market timing.

  • Regular contributions to your investment accounts.

  • Diversification to reduce risk.

  • Letting compound interest work its magic.

📈 Boring is beautiful. The slow and steady approach builds sustainable wealth.

Final Takeaway

This wasn’t a strategy—it was a happy accident.
Let it be a reminder that while the market can be chaotic, the best investment strategy is one rooted in patience, process, and discipline. Stick to your plan, stay invested, and keep working toward financial independence—no lottery wins required.

Enjoy the Show?

Where You Can Watch and Listen:

Subscribe on these platforms or wherever you listen to podcasts! Turn on notifications to keep up with our new content, including:

  • Episodes of The Money Guy Show every Friday
  • Episodes of Making a Millionaire every other Monday
  • Mini-shows every Wednesday
  • Ask Money Guy Livestreams every Tuesday
  • Tons of other fun content!
Related Content

Free Resources

Financial Order of Operations®: Maximize Your Army of Dollar Bills!

Here are the 9 steps you’ve been waiting for Building wealth is simple when you know what to do and…

View Resource

Wealth Multiplier By Age

How much to save every month to become a millionaire.

View Resource

How Much Should You Save?

How much of your income can you replace in retirement? You can replace different portions of your income in retirement…

View Resource

Articles

What To Do When the Stock Market Is Down

, ,

Read More

How To Prepare for a Bear Market in 2025

, ,

Read More

How To Save for Retirement When You Have a Pension

, , ,

Read More

Financial FAQs

Courses & Tools

How about more sense and more money?

Check for blindspots and shift into the financial fast-lane. Join a community of like minded Financial Mutants as we accelerate our wealth building process and have fun while doing it.

https://moneyguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/accent-icon-book.png

Millionaire Mission (Brian’s Book)

Buy Now
https://moneyguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/accent-icon-book.png

Roth IRA Guide

Buy Now
https://moneyguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/accent-icon-book.png

Millionaire Mission (Brian’s Book)

Buy Now

Recent Episodes

It's like finding some change in the couch cushions.

Watch or listen every week to learn and apply financial strategies to grow your wealth and live your best life.

MaM Her Finances Need a TOTAL Reset1

Her Finances Need a TOTAL Reset…

Watch Now
Financial Plan By Age

How To Build a Financial Plan (By Age)

Watch Now
which are you

Are You on Track Financially? A Look at the Average American’s Finances

Watch Now