Japan's comedian-turned-investor launches fund with ex-Goldman 'stock geek'

25/12/2024 12:54

On the face of it, the duo hardly seem fit to inspire confidence as the brains behind Japan's newest stock fund: one, a former comedian and the other, every bit the stereotypical "otaku" geek.



But their maiden fund, announced on Wednesday, may be the Christmas gift that followers of the one-time entertainer, Toshiya Imura, have been waiting for since he revealed his plans for it about two years ago.



The 40-year-old father of three had gained fame and an enthusiastic fan base by turning his obsession with stock research into 6.5 billion yen ($41.4 million) in assets as an individual investor.



His reputation was such that any time his name appeared in a regulatory filing as a major shareholder, that company's stock would surge, as followers sought out "Imura stocks" to piggy-back on his value-investment bets.



But Imura had bigger dreams: to become a professional investor to get more Japanese to profit from the stock market - a goal that aligns with the government's efforts to shepherd the roughly $6.5 trillion of households' cash into financial investments.