How a $3,600 investment turned into $1,785,000 in 3 hours

On April 8, 2025 the QQQ ETF closed at $416.06. On the morning of April 9, 2025 QQQ opened at $415.57 a share.

At 9:37AM Donald Trump posted on his truth media platform:

“THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT”

At 11:17AM someone purchased 1,202 QQQ $450 strike call contracts that would expire at the end of the day. They paid a price of $0.03 per share or $3.00 per contract, with all costs totaling $3,606. QQQ would have to gain ~7% by the end of the day for these contracts to be in/at the money.

At 1:18PM, Donald Trump posted again on Truth Social:

“Based on the lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets, I am hereby raising the Tariff charged to China by the United States of America to 125%, effective immediately. At some point, hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable. Conversely, and based on the fact that more than 75 Countries have called Representatives of the United States, including the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and the USTR, to negotiate a solution to the subjects being discussed relative to Trade, Trade Barriers, Tariffs, Currency Manipulation, and Non Monetary Tariffs, and that these Countries have not, at my strong suggestion, retaliated in any way, shape, or form against the United States, I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10%, also effective immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

This led the market to rally the most it has since 2008.

By the end of the day, the contracts were worth $1,488 a piece for a total value of $1,788,576 for a total profit of $1,784,970 or 49,500% in just three hours

Source: Bloomberg - QQQ $450 04/09/2025 option

To caveat this, I am not certain that the individual who made this gamble held it until the end of the day or sold it on the way up. Either way, to make such an investment on this was either a gamble or a proper interpretation of Trump’s first truth post is pretty incredible. But for every one story like this, there are thousands that don’t work out and we will never hear about.

All the best,

Stewart

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