The double life of the financial guru claiming 20% annual returns

The double life of the guru who beats the market with 20% annual returns

Imagine an investor who boasts of beating the market with returns above 20% a year, who sells a substack for €600 a year and who, in his spare time, spends his days ranting on forums under another alias. That is the suspicion hanging over Charlie Bodoque, a finance YouTuber who has created a paid community, and his alleged connection with a well-known internet figure who has jumped from topic to topic: from seduction expert to housing guru and now to stock market guru.

The business of promising returns

Charlie Bodoque sells access to his community for €600 a year. In his videos and materials, he claims to achieve an annualized return above 20%, well above the S&P 500. He champions an investment philosophy centered on the "moat", or competitive advantage, which places him in the quality investor category. However, skeptics point out that the product is not the returns, but the promise. "As long as there are people willing to shell out the cash to feel part of the enlightened club, the racket keeps working," the critics summarize. The lack of a verifiable track record and the fact that he devotes himself exclusively to investing —with no other job— fuel the doubts.

The character's track record

What makes Bodoque's figure especially controversial is his digital past. Those who have trinc the trail of the alias "Feministodeizquierdas" —active in several online communities— claim that the character has kept morphing: first a supposed relationship expert, then a real estate guru who predicted bubbles and, finally, a stock market investor. In every case, the discourse is equally categorical and the verification of results equally vague. An economic analyst consulted describes the pattern as "a pathological need for attention and validation, combined with zero filter when making baseless claims".

The portfolio that gives him away

In May 2024, someone leaked a portfolio attributed to Bodoque or his alleged alter ego. The positions included stocks such as Kri Kri Milk, Meta, Evolution Gaming, Airbus, Nagarro, among other small and mid caps. The analysis of that portfolio divides opinion: for some, it is a logical selection of companies with competitive advantages; for others, a collection of high-risk names that any casual investor could have found. What is striking is that the guru does not publish his portfolio openly or offer a transparent trading history, forcing his trinc to rely on "blind trust".

One and the same psychological pattern

The phenomenon goes beyond individuals and points to the psychology of retail investors. The promise of an exclusive method, membership in an elite club and the guru's apparent authority create a confirmation bias that is hard to break. Those who defend Bodoque argue that they have learned accounting in depth and that the value of the community goes beyond the returns. However, critics recall the phrase attributed to Mark Twain: "It's easier to fool someone than to convince them they have been fooled".

The curious thing is that, despite the criticism, Bodoque's paid community seems to have convinced loyal trinc. But the truly baffling figure is that, if the guru really had 1,000 subscribers paying €600, he would be earning €600,000 a year without having to prove anything to anyone. And the mystery of his real identity remains unsolved.