Takashi Kotegawa

Legendary Japanese private trader known online as BNF. Turned roughly ¥1.6 million into a nine-figure fortune and became famous for the 2005 J-Com trade.

Knowledge panel

Occupation

Investor, Trader

Born in

Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Born

March 5, 1978

Zodiac

Pisces

17,708

days alive

48

years old

~$150–200 million (est.)

net worth

Born
March 5, 1978 in 🇯🇵Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan
Zodiac
♓︎Pisces·horse 🐎
4 sourcesUpdated Aug 2026

About

Cited

Takashi Kotegawa (小手川 隆), better known by the handle BNF and nicknamed the J-Com Man, is a reclusive Japanese investor and former day/swing trader. Starting around October 2000 with savings of about ¥1.6 million, public magazine figures chart a path through ¥61M (2001), ¥96M (2002), ¥270M (2003), ¥1.1B (2004), ~¥8B after the 2005 J-Com trade, then ¥15.7B / ¥18.5B / a reported peak near ¥21.8B by 2008 — including a ~¥700M Lehman loss and a ~¥9B Akihabara building purchase. He is known for frugal living and avoiding the spotlight.

Before Fame

Cited

As a university student of modest means in Chiba, he taught himself technical analysis and saved part-time job earnings to raise about ¥1.6 million in starting capital before entering the market around 2001.

Trivia

Cited

Online handle BNF from 2channel. Famous capital path: ¥1.6M → ¥61M → ¥1.1B → J-Com (~+¥2B day) → ~¥21.8B peak. Cup-ramen frugality; cash Tokyo condo; Akihabara building later sold. Often cited as a bottom-fisher / swing trader (25-day MA deviation) rather than a pure scalper.

Family Life

Cited

Keeps personal life private; rarely appears in media and does not run a public trading education brand.

Birth Chart

Natal Chart

Takashi's Birth Chart

Astrology
♈︎♉︎♊︎♋︎♌︎♍︎♎︎♏︎♐︎♑︎♒︎♓︎☉☽☿♀♂♃♄⛢♆♇
Fire
Earth
Air
Water
☉

Sun Sign

Pisces♓︎

☽

Moon Sign

Aquarius♒︎

Dominant Element

Water

⚠️ Rising sign requires birth time for accurate calculation

Planetary positions calculated for March 5, 1978

Verified Sources

4
S

Source

Wikidata

Open source
S

Source

Koniichi Value — BNF wealth trajectory

Open source
S

Source

Complete Traders Edge profile

Open source
S

Source

World Top Investors

Open source
Day Lookup ToolDay MilestonesOn This Day
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⚡ Timeline
2018
Day 14,547
Age 39

Akihabara building sale

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 2018

Reportedly exits the Akihabara building around ¥12 billion after a decade of rent, pushing estimated wealth toward ¥30B+. Withdraws further from public view.

2010
Day 11,625
Age 31

Private investor era

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 2010

Largely leaves media; remains a private investor. Handle BNF becomes a global retail-trading legend.

2008
Day 11,259
Age 30

Peak reported capital — ¥21.8B

Confidence
96%
Dec 31, 2008

Magazine and later profiles place peak liquid/trading wealth around ¥21.8 billion (~$150–200M) despite the Lehman hit.

Day 11,168
Age 30

Akihabara building purchase

Confidence
96%
Oct 1, 2008

Pays ~¥9 billion cash for Chomp Chomp Akihabara (later AKIBA Cultures ZONE), hedging trading size into rental real estate during the crisis.

Day 11,152
Age 30

Lehman Brothers loss

Confidence
96%
Sep 15, 2008

Bets on a Lehman bailout that does not come; loses about ¥700 million. Later described punching and breaking two monitors — a rare public show of frustration.

2007
Day 10,893
Age 29

Year-end capital — ¥18.5B

Confidence
96%
Dec 31, 2007

Continued growth despite market volatility; among Japan’s best-known private traders.

2006
Day 10,528
Age 28

Year-end capital — ¥15.7B

Confidence
96%
Dec 31, 2006

Featured on TV (Gaia no Yoake). Continues large-cap swing trading as size forces longer holds.

2005
Day 10,163
Age 27

Year-end capital — ~¥8B

Confidence
96%
Dec 31, 2005

Reported assets around ¥8 billion after the J-Com year; media attention intensifies while he stays reclusive.

Day 10,140
Age 27

J-Com fat-finger trade

Confidence
96%
Dec 8, 2005

Mizuho Securities mistakenly sells 610,000 J-Com shares at ¥1. BNF buys into the dislocation (often cited ~7,100 shares) and realizes on the order of ¥2–2.2 billion via the clearing settlement — nicknamed J-Com Man.

2004
Day 9,798
Age 26

First billion — ¥1.1B

Confidence
96%
Dec 31, 2004

Crosses the ¥1 billion mark (~$10M). Roughly a 690× return from starting capital over ~4 years.

2003
Day 9,432
Age 25

Year-end capital — ¥270M

Confidence
96%
Dec 31, 2003

Portfolio expands as the Nikkei begins recovering; still trading primarily as an anonymous forum handle (BNF).

2002
Day 9,067
Age 24

Year-end capital — ¥96M

Confidence
96%
Dec 31, 2002

Continues compounding small-cap and bounce trades through a still-hostile Japanese equity market.

2001
Day 8,702
Age 23

Year-end capital — ¥61M

Confidence
96%
Dec 31, 2001

Bear-market mean-reversion / divergence trading grows the account to about ¥61 million (~$500k). Drops out of Nihon University law studies as opportunity cost rises.

2000
Day 8,246
Age 22

Initial capital — ¥1.6M

Confidence
96%
Oct 1, 2000

Begins trading Japanese equities with roughly ¥1.6 million (~$13,600) saved from part-time work. Account reported near ¥2.8M by year-end.

1978
Day 0
Age 0

Born in Ichikawa, Chiba

Confidence
96%
Mar 5, 1978

Born in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.