From Trading Floors to TV Screens: Why Billion-Yen Investor Testa Signed with a Comedy Talent Agency

Starting with 3 million yen, he made a total profit of 10 billion yen over 20 years!

In 2005, individual investor Testa began stock trading with an initial capital of 3 million yen, and by February 2024, he had achieved a total profit of 10 billion yen. In recent years, he has been active as an advisor for beginners on investment-related YouTube programs, and has recently started appearing on television shows as well.

Furthermore, in the year-end special “Geinin Hodo 2024 Nenmatsu Special” (Nippon TV) aired late last year, he joined the talent roster of the LLC “Nanse,” founded by comedian Minamikawa. Despite already having achieved remarkable success through investing, why is he now so active in the media? We asked him to find out the reason.

Appearing in the media is out of curiosity about “new experiences.

“I just want to try things I normally wouldn’t want to do.”

So says Testa, the individual investor who joined the talent roster of LLC Nanse—founded by solo comedian Minamikawa after leaving Shochiku Geino—during the year-end broadcast of Geinin Hodo 2024 Nenmatsu Special (Nippon TV).

With 20 years of stock trading under his belt and total profits reaching 10 billion yen, Testa now splits his time between investing and making appearances in media and at lectures.

As for why he’s approached by the media, he analyzes it simply: “It’s because I’ve kept winning at investing for 20 years.” Still, he humbly adds, “I’m just a regular person—just one private investor. I’m truly grateful.”

In recent years, he’s frequently appeared on investment-themed YouTube programs as an advisor for beginners, and many now see him as a trusted guide or mentor for those new to investing. However, when he first started appearing in the media, he was featured more in serious economic news programs. That’s when a question started to form in his mind:

“There are so many professionals like analysts in the finance world, and even among private investors, there are plenty who know a lot about fundamentals and react quickly to news. And in these serious programs, technical jargon gets thrown around as if it’s totally normal,” says Testa.

He began to wonder, “Sure, that might be fine for people who already understand economics and investing, but is this really reaching beginners?” To address that concern, he started using a style that minimized jargon and explained terms in simple language—and it really suited him.

Since then, he’s focused mainly on work aimed at beginners, which naturally led to him being seen as a go-to advisor for newcomers to investing.

But Testa’s motivation for appearing in the media isn’t just about helping others understand investing.

“It’s not just about media work—this applies to everything in life. The older you get, the fewer first-time experiences you have, and that makes them all the more valuable. I’m the type who usually doesn’t go out much or seek out new things.”

“Media work lets me try things you’d never get to experience in everyday life—like filming a segment for a variety show. Of course, there’s pressure, but afterward, there’s a real sense of accomplishment.”

There are plenty of first-time experiences out there, but some can only be had through media work. It’s this pure curiosity and drive to learn from new experiences that fuels Testa’s continued appearances in the spotlight.

The Reason He Shows His Face: During My First Magazine Shoot, the Sunglasses

Testa made his first media appearance around 2008. At the time, he was living in the Kansai region and traveled to Tokyo for a magazine interview.

“I’ve been showing my face in the media since the beginning, but honestly, I didn’t intend to. For safety reasons and such, I agreed to the interview on the condition that I could wear sunglasses. But when I saw the proof pages, the sunglasses were so transparent that my face was clearly visible,” he says with a wry smile.

Since then, although there have been ups and downs, Testa has been featured in financial magazines, web content for securities companies, and occasionally on TV.

For example, during the Abenomics-driven market boom in 2013, there was an increase in features about money and stocks even in publications outside of specialized magazines. On the other hand, when the market settled down, the focus shifted back to financial magazines, and exposure would increase again whenever a significant event occurred. Last year, due to the impact of the new NISA system, his media presence grew, which likely led people to feel that they were seeing him more often.

He joined Nanse by chance

What shocked not only the investment community but also long-time followers of Testa’s activities was the event that took place during the Geinin Hodo 2024 Nenmatsu Special at the end of last year. Guest Minamikawa introduced Testa, saying, “I want to scout him for our agency.”

Minamikawa, desperately trying to persuade him with absurd conditions like a 90:10 split, even suggesting “If worst comes to worst, 100:0 is fine,” was met with competition from individual agency Kato Koji, Yoshimoto Kogyo’s Teru Hōtōhara, and Asobisystem. This led to a fierce bidding war over Testa, which turned into a comedic development. In the end, Testa agreed to join Minamikawa’s LLC Nanse.

“As a matter of fact, Minamikawa and I had been doing a radio show together for some time, where there was already talk of ‘whether to join the agency or not.’ The flow of the show was completely natural, and there was no scripting. During the recording, when Minamikawa said things like ‘Our agency is strong in adult content,’ I thought that would be the reason I’d turn him down.”

He then explains that, “Even though it was in the moment, I didn’t think it would be right to turn them down in front of everyone,” so he chose the agency that seemed the easiest to join—Nanse.

While there has been some reaction since joining, Testa says, “Nothing has changed for me.” Regarding the reactions from his over 900,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter), he analyzes that they seem to be “confused about how to respond.”

“I think they don’t know whether they should say ‘Congratulations.’ Perhaps everyone is seeing this situation as just a vibe or a joke,” he laughs.

Fun is the Axis of Life

Testa, who hails from Kansai and has a natural talent for comedy, is expected to continue making waves in the media. When asked about the work he’d like to do, his answer was surprising: “I don’t want to do things I’m not interested in.”

He explains, “At the end of the day, investing is the most enjoyable thing for me right now, so I don’t want to neglect that. That’s why I’ve decided not to take up hobbies for the time being; I’ll do those once I retire.”

Testa’s criteria for retiring from investing are clear: two consecutive years of losses or a 40% drop from the peak. Either of these would trigger his retirement.

“There are many things besides money that can make you happy,” Testa says. His values are simple, with fun serving as the guiding principle in his life. Stock investing just happens to be the path that Testa finds enjoyable, and “If another source of joy appears, I would easily shift toward it.”

“The shape of happiness is different for everyone, and what people find fun is also different. For me, right now, stock investing is that thing.”