I lost 75% only because of my folly. Like I said, I was Naive…I placed my full trust in Stock advisor and those were the only companies I bought. Companies like Zoom, Fiverr, Lemonade, novocure, Etsy, and so many others that were recommended by Motley fool were the ones that had contributed to my downfall. Upstart was indeed one of the biggest folly of all, but Tom Gardner absolutely was convinced when he pounded the table on it, and said 380 was just a beginning.
This statement kills me. I found the Fool in 1999, still in its infancy with a very humble goal: Financial advice for the non-finance professional. For ex, explaining interest rates, how to find a stock brokerage, pay off debt, use care with credit cards, etc.
Then in approximately 2000 or 2001, before the Gardners started their newsletters, the Fool had an in-depth write up of a gene-mapping company called Celera. The next day, the stock went through the roof. It was obvious the Fool had an audience, and that their narrative could move prices. Shortly thereafter came the Rule Breakers letter, with many more to follow. Unfortunately I think they began a shift in purpose away from teaching wisdom to hyping performance.
The OP - in my mind - was already quite the success: Saving $1.2MM without using the stock market is impressive. I only wish he’d stuck with what was already working rather than reaching for outsized gains.