Erik Finman

Erik Finman got rich on Bitcoin, said Arwa Mahdawi in TheGuardian.com, and actually wants the world to hate him for it. The 19-year-old millionaire is following in the footsteps of Martin Shkreli, the notorious “pharma bro,” by shamelessly flaunting his wealth on social media. He posts photos of himself sipping martinis, flying private jets, and sleeping on piles of money. “People go crazy,” he cheerfully admits. “But I think being a provocateur is a fun way to get people to pay attention to my ideas.” The son of parents who met while getting doctorates at Stanford University, Finman was an early Bitcoin enthusiast and sold a video-tutor startup he launched for 300 Bitcoin. By 18, as the value of the cryptocurrency soared, he was a millionaire. At first, he admits, the money went to his head. “I got a fast car, traveled all over the world, went a little crazy. I had to get it out of my system.” More recently, he moved to San Francisco, where he says he’s settled down a bit. Even if his ostentation is performance art, there’s no denying his immaturity. When the first article was published about his accomplishments, Finman emailed it to “the worst teacher I had” with the subject line “Look at me now, bitch.”

Alan Powdrill/@alanpowdrill, Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media, Newscom ■