Chapter 12 Million-Dollar Weekend
The rest of the weekend passed in a blur of sun, snacks, and scheming.
Jake spent the days bonding with Uncle Charlie—hanging out on the deck, watching TV, and listening to his uncle explain the art of doing just enough to make life feel like a vacation. Charlie's effortless charm and laid-back lifestyle had a magnetic pull.
Jake didn't just admire it—he studied it.
But while the days were easygoing, the nights were anything but.
Each evening, Jake sat at Charlie's old desktop in the living room, scouring the internet for investment strategies. He dove into forums, scanned stock tickers, read market analyses, and watched early interviews with the CEOs of companies he knew would one day dominate the world.
Amazon, Apple, Nvidia… Google's IPO is next year. I need in before that happens.
He started building a plan.
Long-term investments would set him up for massive wealth down the line—but he needed short-term wins to get there. Something that could take a small amount of capital and flip it for serious gains.
By Sunday morning, Jake had narrowed it down. He was ready to start investing.
Now, he just needed an adult to help him legally open a brokerage account.
Later that afternoon, Jake found his dad in the kitchen, flipping pancakes and humming some off-key tune from the seventies.
"Dad?" Jake asked casually.
"Yeah, buddy?"
Jake leaned on the counter, choosing his words carefully. "You know how I've been thinking a lot about my future? College, career, that kind of stuff?"
Alan blinked. "You're eleven."
Jake smirked. "Technically, sure. But we both know I'm not exactly average anymore."
Alan sighed and flipped a pancake. "That's true."
"I want to start investing," Jake said. "Real investing. I've been doing research—companies, market trends, trading strategies. I just need help setting up an account."
Alan turned to face him, spatula in hand. "You want me to open a stock trading account… for you?"
Jake nodded. "We'll do it together. You'll have full access and oversight. I'll explain everything I'm doing."
Alan hesitated. "Isn't that a little risky?"
Jake gave him a look—one that reminded Alan way too much of Charlie's when he was trying to talk someone into something questionable. Except this wasn't a scam or a hustle.
This was confidence backed by brilliance.
"It's riskier not to do it," Jake said. "You wanted me to take this seriously, right? Well… this is me taking it seriously."
Alan stared at him for a long moment. Then, finally, he sighed and grabbed a sticky note from the counter.
"Alright. Let's do it. But if I lose my life savings, you're mowing lawns until you're thirty."
Jake grinned. "Deal."
That night, father and son sat side-by-side at the computer, creating the brokerage account together. Jake entered all the right information, set up watchlists, and bookmarked key research pages.
His future was officially in motion.
One step closer, he thought. One step closer to building something big.