From grocery store to Bugatti: The meteoric rise of Carl 'The Moon'

Carl Runefelt, better known as "The Moon" to his legion of crypto-obsessed YouTube followers, is living a life that most could only dream of. The 29-year-old Swede has gone from working a mundane job at a local grocery store to becoming one of the most recognizable personalities in the world of crypto, complete with a Bugatti Veyron parked in his garage.

Carl is an accomplished serial entrepreneur and one of the world’s leading crypto angel investors. With investments in more than 400 ventures, he passionately advocates for innovation in the blockchain industry. He is the founder of cryptojobs.com, a pioneering web3 employment portal that connects enthusiasts with opportunities in the space, and The Moon Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to nurturing early-stage web3 and blockchain startups.

Beyond his professional achievements, Runefelt is an advocate for individuals with Down Syndrome, a music enthusiast, and a Formula Racing fan. In fact, he had a Formula 1 car helicoptered into his offices in Dubai.

It's a remarkable transformation, one that Runefelt attributes to a relentless focus on his vision and the power of the law of attraction. "What motivates me is always having a vision in my mind of where I want to be and where I want to go," he explained. "I think the reason why most people don't get successful is because they don't know what they want."

Dreaming of cool cars

Back in the late 2010s, Runefelt was stuck in a rut, working at the supermarket with no clear direction for his life. But he knew there had to be more. Inspired by the success stories of others, he began immersing himself in the world of personal development, learning about the importance of mindset and visualization.

"I started just visualizing myself living my dream life," Runefelt said. "When I was working in the supermarkets, my idea of my dream life was basically being wealthy and flying private jets and having cool cars, because that has always been my dream, to have cool cars."

Crucially, Runefelt also wanted to make his parents proud - something that had eluded him in his younger, more aimless days. "I visualized myself, you know, like I imagined talking to my parents, and they were like, proud of me, and they were like, 'Wow, you did such a good job.'"

With this vision firmly planted in his mind, Runefelt began exploring various business opportunities, trying his hand at dropshipping without much success. It wasn't until he stumbled upon the world of cryptocurrency that things started to click.

"I found a video about Bitcoin, just like, randomly. And then eventually I came to the conclusion that maybe I should try to start a YouTube channel and talk about Bitcoin, and then I can monetize that by selling T-shirts," Runefelt recalled.

At first, the YouTube channel was more of a hobby than a serious moneymaking venture. Runefelt was making videos every day, driven by a genuine passion for Bitcoin and a desire to educate others about the transformative potential of decentralized finance.

"I realized that passion for Bitcoin, because I think it has saved many people from oppression from banks and oppression from governments and all these things. So I think it's a very important part of humanity. You know, freedom of money."

Patience pays

For the first six months, Runefelt didn't make a single penny from his YouTube endeavor. But he didn't let that deter him. "I had so much fun. I was making videos every day, and I had comments and likes and views, and I was making the videos, you know, in the morning or in the evening, before or after my supermarket shift."

Then, the floodgates opened. When Runefelt finally turned on the YouTube monetization, the money started pouring in - $3,000 to $4,000 per month, which was more than triple what he was earning at the grocery store. Within a few more months, that figure had skyrocketed to $10,000 to $15,000 per month.

"That's when I realized, okay, now I could actually do this for a living," Runefelt said. He promptly quit his day job, confident that his YouTube channel and crypto investments could sustain him. And he was right - the channel continued to grow, and Runefelt's wealth grew along with it.

The crowning achievement came when Runefelt was finally able to purchase his dream car: a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. "It has always been my dream car since I was a very young teenager, like when I was a kid, basically," he beams. "And ever since then, it's been like the ultimate car for me, like the coolest car, the most iconic car."

Acquiring the Bugatti was a symbolic moment for Runefelt, a tangible representation of just how far he had come. "If I can be that kid again, and see myself driving around in this Bugatti, I would be like, 'Wow. Who are you? Man? What do you do for living?”

The answer is crypto.

 

Listen to the whole interview on The Crypto Radio's live player or in the Thought Leaders podcast.