EXCLUSIVE: Meet Nick Kyrgios' Bitcoin buddy: Investor who left school at 15 to work at McDonald's is now worth $15MILLION and sells cryptocurrency to the tennis megastar - and says this is your LAST chance to buy it cheap

  • Sam Karagiozis amassed a $15million fortune through entrepreneurial ventures 
  • Mr Karagiozis has become one of Australia's leading Bitcoin experts at just 26
  • He has teamed up with tennis star Nick Kyrgios to build their Bitcoin business 
  • From leaving school at 15 to work at McDonald's he has now amassed a fortune 

One of Australia's leading Bitcoin millionaires claims there is only weeks left to invest in cryptocurrency before the price skyrockets to as high as AUD$100,000.

Sam Karagiozis left school at the age of 15 to work full-time at McDonald's. But after starting property, food and now a bitcoin business, he is worth a total of $15million.

The entrepreneur and self-proclaimed 'hustler' has made headlines in recent months for creating his 'Auscoin' cryptocurrency and ATMs where it can be bought like cash.

Mr Karagiozis, 26, has formed a partnership with tennis star Nick Kyrgios, selling him and his brother 'quite a bit' of Bitcoin and sitting in his box at the Australian Open.

Speaking with Daily Mail Australia the Melbourne-based millionaire revealed close to all of his fortune is invested in cryptocurrency and said his only advice for those who are considering buying the internet currency is this: Do it now.

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Sam Karagiozis (pictured) left school at the age of 15 to work full-time at McDonald's. But now, after starting property, food and bitcoin businesses, he is worth a total of $15million

Sam Karagiozis (pictured) left school at the age of 15 to work full-time at McDonald's. But now, after starting property, food and bitcoin businesses, he is worth a total of $15million

Mr Karagiozis (centre), 26, has formed a partnership with tennis star Nick Kyrgios (left), selling him and his brother Christos (right) 'quite a bit' of Bitcoin and appearing in his box at the Australian Open

Mr Karagiozis (centre), 26, has formed a partnership with tennis star Nick Kyrgios (left), selling him and his brother Christos (right) 'quite a bit' of Bitcoin and appearing in his box at the Australian Open

After peaking at close to AUD$25,000 late last year the price of Bitcoin has dropped to as low as AUD$13,000 in recent weeks, but Mr Karagiozis claims he isn't worried.

'The first quarter of this year is probably the last opportunity people are ever going to get to buy Bitcoin for under AUD$20,000 a coin,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'This is the time people want to get in. It might go a little bit lower but it just comes down to the news and people panicking. 

'People who invested two weeks ago might be a little stressed, but they shouldn't be because it's nothing new for Bitcoin to crash a bit.

'I'm predicting that Bitcoin is going to reach AUD$100,000 by the end of 2018 and in three to five years it will hit AUD$500,000... there's not a doubt in my mind.' 

So entrenched is Mr Karagiozis in the 'crypto' game that late last year he launched a series of ATMs that allow Bitcoin owners to turn their internet currency into cash.

'I really got into bitcoin by mistake, stumbling across it when it was at about $2 and I thought it looked like a cool investment, so I put a bit of cash into it,' he said.

'Pretty quick it got it up to $4 and I thought I'd conquered the world, so I sold it all.

The millionaire (centre) was pictured sitting in the tennis star's box throughout the Australian Open, posing for photos with the pair and their mother Norlaila (right)

The millionaire (centre) was pictured sitting in the tennis star's box throughout the Australian Open, posing for photos with the pair and their mother Norlaila (right)

While refusing to spill the beans on just how much Australia's top ranked tennis star has put into cryptocurrency, Mr Karagiozis admitted the whole family was invested

While refusing to spill the beans on just how much Australia's top ranked tennis star has put into cryptocurrency, Mr Karagiozis admitted the whole family was invested

WHAT IS CRYPTOCURRENCY?

Bitcoin is a digital currency, known as cryptocurrency, which began in 2009 and were initially worth just a few cents.

In 2013 they hit the USD$100 mark for the first time, before rising to USD$900 at the start of 2017. Today they are worth USD$12,000 (AUD$17,000).

Thousands of amateur traders are now betting huge amounts, while start-up companies use bitcoin to raise money and avoid the transparency needed in a stock market float.

But experts fear the currency has become a vast speculative bubble detached from reality.

Watchdogs across the world have warned there could be a sudden massive crash if the market turns, losing investors billions of dollars.

Economist Nouriel Roubini, who predicted the global financial crisis (GFC), is one who has called cryptocurrency a 'giant speculative bubble' bound to end in disaster.

However cryptocurrency investors such as Mr Colosi and Mr Lenoci claim the price will continue to boom, potentially as high as USD$50,000 or AUD$100,000.

Bitcoins are generated by using an open-source computer program to solve complex math problems. This process is known as 'mining'.

Each Bitcoin has a unique fingerprint and is defined by a public address and a private key. Owners of bitcoin do not own a physical coin, but instead a string of numbers and letters that give a specific identity. 

Other types of coins are available online including Ethereum, LiteCoin, Neo and Monero — these non-bitcoin cryptocurrencies are often called altcoins. 

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'Then I began to broker bitcoin, try to make five to six per cent on every transaction and now I'm one of the largest private Bitcoin brokers in the country.

'My business is simple: You send me $10,000 and I send you that much in Bitcoin.

'Now we've got the ATMs where you can do the same. I've had people walk in and get $18,000 out on a Sunday afternoon and go buy a jetski - you can't do that at a bank.'

While he is proud of his financial gains, Mr Karagiozis said one of the best parts of his success has been building a relationship with Nick Kyrgios and his brother Christos.

The millionaire was pictured sitting in the tennis star's box throughout the Australian Open, posing for photos with the pair and their mother Norlaila.

While refusing to spill the beans on just how much Australia's top ranked tennis star has put into cryptocurrency, Mr Karagiozis admitted the whole family was invested.

Nick Kyrgios poses next to Mr Karagiozis' car after their meeting in Melbourne last week

Nick Kyrgios poses next to Mr Karagiozis' car after their meeting in Melbourne last week

Mr Jung recently insisted that virtual currencies like bitcoin were not a form of legal currency and the South Korean government would 'strongly respond' to excessive cryptocurrency speculation  

Mr Karagiozis has launched ATMs across the country allowing Bitcoin owners to turn internet currency into cash

'Nick's a big fan of the project and I'm a big fan of Nick, but we're still negotiating our game plan in terms of working together,' he said. 

'Him and his brother Christos have made some comments online about Auscoin and I got to meet up with them when they were in Melbourne last week which was great.

'The family has all bought bitcoin off me, I'm not sure who had what amount, but his brother first bought it off me he just sent me a message and we linked up.

'Nick and him are interested in the entire project and obviously talking about it a lot and there's a fair bit going on between us.

'It's just great to link up with someone my age who is also very successful, I mean he is only 22 and I'm 26, so we're both doing pretty well I think.'

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