Key Takeaways
- 10 years of study before making his first big trade
- Focused on chart patterns, especially cup & handle
- Used strict 7-8% stop loss on every trade
- Only bought stocks breaking out with high volume
- Turned $10,775 → $18 million in 18 months
From Pool Guy to Wall Street Legend
Dan Zanger wasn't born rich. He didn't go to fancy business schools. He was just a regular guy from Los Angeles who built swimming pools for a living.
But Dan had a secret hobby. Every night after work, covered in dirt and sweat, he would sit down and study stock charts. For 10 years straight, he did this.
His friends thought he was crazy. His family wondered why he spent all his free time staring at squiggly lines on paper. But Dan saw something others didn't — patterns that repeated over and over again.
"I studied charts like my life depended on it. Because one day, I knew it would change my life."
— Dan Zanger
While others were watching TV or going to bars, Dan was annotating charts, studying price action, and teaching himself technical analysis. He didn't have Bloomberg terminals or fancy software — just paper charts and an unshakeable belief that patterns in markets repeat.
The $10,000 Bet
In 1998, Dan took his entire savings — just $10,775 — and put it all into the stock market.
Most people would say that's crazy. But Dan had spent 10 years preparing for this moment. He knew exactly what he was looking for:
Chart Patterns
Shapes that stocks make before they explode higher
Volume
Lots of people buying means the move is real
Timing
Buying at exactly the right moment of breakout
The Incredible Run
What happened next is still hard to believe.
Dan started buying tech stocks during the dot-com boom. But he wasn't gambling blindly like everyone else. He was using his chart patterns to find the best stocks at the best times.
His favorites? Stocks making "cup and handle" patterns — a shape that looks like a coffee cup when you draw it on a chart. When he saw this pattern with high volume, he would buy.
Dan's Favorite: The Cup & Handle
This pattern forms when a stock pulls back, creates a rounded bottom (the "cup"), then has a slight pullback (the "handle") before breaking out to new highs. Dan waited for the breakout with volume confirmation before buying.
In just 18 months, his $10,775 turned into $18 million dollars. That's over a 164,000% return — a record verified by Fortune Magazine and certified by a major accounting firm.
World Record Holder
Dan Zanger holds the record for the largest percentage return on a personal portfolio — verified by Fortune Magazine
Dan's Simple Rules
What made Dan successful wasn't a secret formula or insider information. It was a set of simple, disciplined rules that he followed without exception:
Only Buy Breakouts
Wait for stocks to break above resistance with big volume. Never buy on the way down.
Cut Losers Fast
If a stock drops 7-8%, sell it. No questions asked. No hoping it comes back.
Let Winners Run
Don't sell your best stocks too early. The big money is made in the big moves.
Study Every Day
The market rewards those who put in the work. Review charts daily without exception.
What We Can Learn
Dan Zanger's story teaches us something powerful:
You don't need to be special to succeed in the stock market. You need to be dedicated.
Dan spent 10 years learning before he made his big move. He studied charts when everyone else was watching TV. He practiced when no one was looking.
And when his moment came, he was ready.
"The stock market is a way for regular people to build extraordinary wealth. But only if you're willing to put in the work."
— Dan Zanger
The Bottom Line
Dan Zanger went from building pools to building a fortune. His secret wasn't luck — it was 10 years of daily practice combined with simple, clear rules.
Today, Dan teaches his methods to others through his website and newsletter. But his core message remains the same:
Study the charts. Follow your rules. Be patient. The market will reward you.