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From Grandparents’ Store Seller to Owner of a Billion-Dollar Company, We Analyze the Journey, the Strategies, and the Mindset Behind One of the New Millionaires of Brazilian Internet.
At only 26 years old, Guilherme Raya runs a cryptocurrency brokerage that moves more than R$ 20 million a day, has a Porsche in the garage, and accumulates 12 million followers. But the successful image many see today was built on an unusual foundation: pretending to be rich on TikTok to mock the “coaches” of the internet.
Guilherme’s journey is a lesson on the new digital economy. A story that starts with selling masks during the pandemic, explodes with satire on social media, and consolidates in one of the most promising and volatile markets in the world: cryptocurrencies. We analyze this trajectory in depth to extract the lessons and strategies that took him from zero to success.
The Turning Point: From Neighborhood Store to Vision During the Pandemic
Guilherme’s entrepreneurial journey started traditionally, working as a seller in his grandparents’ small bed, table, and bath store in Grajaú, São Paulo. The first million in turnover came with hard work and focus on the family business. But the big turning point happened on the brink of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“My father saw that COVID was coming,” says Guilherme. “I researched what happens during pandemics and saw that inflation rises. The lesson from history was clear: those who make money are the ones who have stock.” The strategy was bold: invest the entire company’s cash in products before suppliers closed. When the pandemic paralyzed the country, the family store was one of the few with stock to sell, and turnover quadrupled, mainly with mask sales. It was at that moment that he made his first million reais in the bank.
The Genius Idea: “Pretend to Be Rich” to Go Viral
With boosted cash flow, Guilherme dove into the world of cryptocurrencies, taking advantage of the boom in coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum. But what made him a public figure was a genius and satirical idea in 2022.
“Everyone was doing millionaire coach podcasts,” he says. “I had the idea to mock those people.” Guilherme began posting short videos on TikTok, imitating the mannerisms and absurd advice of the “rich from podcasts.” The character, “the podcast millionaire,” went viral. The irony was so well executed that many couldn’t tell the satire from reality.
The “Copia, Melhora e Repete” Strategy
For Guilherme, the secret to growing online is simple and replicable. “The tactic is to use a reference of success. You copy, improve, adapt to Brazilian culture, and do it on a large scale, for a long time. Eventually, the results come.”
He applied this rule when he realized that the millionaire character attracted a massive audience. Even starting with “fake” videos, using friends’ cars and backgrounds, he built a gigantic follower base. “What mattered to me was having money in the bank, not a car to show off. The result is what matters,” he asserts.
From Character to Reality: The Creation of the Brokerage
With an audience in the millions, the next step was to turn attention into a real and useful business. Guilherme and his partners focused on creating solutions for the crypto market, a niche he understands to be the “next big movement,” similar to what the stock market was for the previous generation of financial influencers.
Today, his main company is Brasil Bitcoin, a brokerage that, according to him, already moves more than 3 billion reais a year. The company operates as a “software house,” creating solutions for the crypto market, a sector where regulation is still consolidating and offering immense opportunities.
Lessons from a Real Millionaire
Throughout the journey, Guilherme highlights some fundamental learnings:
Networking is Everything: “The more people you know, the more opportunities you create. I would work for free for someone who had the life I wanted to have, just to learn and be close to the opportunities that ‘splash off’.”
Do Not Lend Money: “The biggest culprit when someone doesn’t pay you back is yourself for having lent it. If you want to help, give the money, but never lend expecting to get it back.”
Do Not Put All Your Eggs in One Basket: “One of my biggest regrets was leaving all my money in the hands of a single bank or government. Trust only yourself to guard your own money.” That’s why he advocates for decentralized assets like Bitcoin.
Focus on a Profitable Niche: “People create humor to go viral but don’t know how to make money from it. It’s better to focus on a niche that makes money, like finance, sales, or crypto, and build your authority there.”
Guilherme’s journey, from neighborhood commerce to viral satire and consolidation as one of the biggest names in the crypto market in Brazil, is a reflection of the new era of entrepreneurship: a mix of market vision, mastery of social media, and a mindset focused on results, not appearances.
Which of Guilherme’s lessons do you find most impactful for anyone wanting to venture into entrepreneurship today? Content strategy, the importance of networking, or the mindset about money and risk? Comment!
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