Are you always on YouTube searching for trading strategies? Do you binge-watch Bravo’s “Below Deck”?
Either way, you’ve probably run across a brash trader named Tim Sykes.
His story is irresistible: As a teenager, he started investing his bar mitzvah money — and by the time he was in college, he was a millionaire.
After a failed stint in the hedge fund world, followed by a highly successful spin on reality TV, Sykes got back to basics — buying and selling low-priced stocks, and teaching others how to do it, too. His goal? To help others achieve their financial dreams with his numerous training programs. Sykes knows deep inside that he’s special, and he’s definitely not shy about letting you know:

So … are you sold? Do you want to become Tim Sykes’ next millionaire student? Before you sign up for his (pricey!) program, check out this comprehensive Tim Sykes review. We’ll dig into the much-discussed Tim Sykes net worth, most popular programs, and more.
The Bottom Line: Is Tim Sykes Legit?
Timothy Sykes is a worthwhile penny stock trading guru. His programs are excellent if you’re a self-driven learner who is specifically interested in day trading low-priced stocks.
If you’re not, look elsewhere.
While Timothy Sykes is a legitimate trader and millionaire who has mentored several confirmed millionaire students, his programs are not for the faint of heart. Here’s why:
- The program costs several thousand dollars (plus ongoing monthly fees if you want to be part of the chat room community and get alerts)
- It requires slavish dedication. Among Sykes’ 7-figure students, there’s a common thread: They all made day trading their lives and studied several hours per day while learning the ropes.
- The millionaire students’ results are exceptional. Sykes’ strategy, which revolves around short-term trading of penny stocks, is risky and it’s not suited for all investors.
Tim Sykes is NOT for you if:
- You are risk-averse
- You want to invest long-term
- You care at all about a stock’s fundamentals
- You don’t have several hours per day to dedicate to the stock market.
If you prefer a bit less risk and a lot less screen time, you may prefer another high-quality alerts system, such as Zen Investor.
A more affordable (and less time-consuming) alternative…
Penny stock trading is volatile and risky. If you prefer investing in stocks with longer-term potential, that won’t have you glued to your monitor to watch every tick, consider subscribing to Zen Investor. Here’s what you get:
✅ Portfolio of up to 30 of the best stocks for the long haul, hand-selected by Steve Reitmeister, former editor-in-chief of Zacks.com with a 4-step process using WallStreetZen tools
✅ A careful review of each pick using the Zen Ratings system (stocks rated “A” using this system have historically generated 32.52% annual returns)
✅ Monthly Commentary & Portfolio Updates
✅ Sell Alerts if the thesis changes
✅ Members Only Webinars
✅ 24/7 access to all the elements noted above
✅ Access to an archive of past trades and commentary.
Who Is Timothy Sykes?
Born in Connecticut in 1981, Tim Sykes made a name for himself shortly after his bar mitzvah.
It didn’t take Sykes long after delivering his D’var Torah to deposit $12K in presents into a brokerage account.
This initial investment ballooned to a $1.65 million portfolio by the time he reached 21, thanks largely to Sykes’ preference for high-risk, high-return penny stocks.
Unsurprisingly, Sykes used his trading experience in his professional life through the hedge fund Cilantro Fund Management.
By 2006, Trader Monthly had named him one of the top 30 traders under 30, and he got his dashing photo plastered on Young Money magazine.

Ultimately, the Cilantro Fund failed in 2007 — a fact that Sykes largely attributes to the fact that his strategy didn’t scale well.
But when one door closes, another opens.
Let’s Talk About the Tim Sykes “Below Deck” Thing
In addition to trading, Sykes has also moonlighted as a reality TV star, gaining notoriety for his memorable appearance on Bravo TV’s “Below Deck.” People loved to hate him — and a whole new generation of traders clamored to learn his trading technique.
As a result, Sykes began focusing more on educating and mentoring the next generation of traders.

Time appears to have softened Sykes — a few years ago he shed a bunch of his flashiest belongings (bye bye, Lambo) and began to focus on his three passions:
- Teaching and enabling his students to live better lives
- Traveling the world and trading and working wherever he goes
- Doing good by donating to charity, most notably through his charity fund Karmagawa
Through Karmagawa, Sykes has helped build over 100 schools in countries around the world.
Timothy Sykes Trading Strategy
Tim Sykes’ strategy has evolved over the years, but it always focuses on short-term fluctuations of low-priced stocks.
He primarily focuses on penny stocks, or stocks that cost $5 or less per share, but there are exceptions.
Early on in his career, he was primarily a short seller. These days, he mainly goes long. But the focus on low-priced stocks has remained constant.
For Sykes, it’s less about being married to a particular style, and more about following the opportunities. In particular, he likes to take advantage of “Informational inefficiencies” to potentially profit from stocks in motion.
Sykes is mainly a day trader, meaning he enters and exits positions on the same day. His trading style is very technical — he looks for key setups and chart patterns, and isn’t at all focused on the fundamentals of a given company. In fact, sometimes he refers to tickers without even knowing the company name!
But in recent years, he’s developed some more swing trading-friendly strategies, such as the program he calls Weekend Trader. We’ll talk more about his programs in a minute. But first…
Interested in day trading like Tim Sykes? You need a great charting platform.
We recommend TradingView Pro. With beautiful charts, seemingly endless indicators and customization options, and the ability to link your brokerage account to the platform, it’s our top pick for high-quality charts — by a long shot.
You can start a free 30-day trial with this link.
Is Timothy Sykes Legit?
While Tim Sykes’ story may seem too good to be true, he is a legit trader.
How do we know? For one, Sykes publicly shares his latest moves on trading platforms like Profit.ly (which he also helped create, by the way). He posts every single trade, good and bad. So you can see exactly how much he’s making (or losing).

Sykes also has a long roster of success stories. His past students include millionaires and popular traders in their own right, such as Tim Grittani and Jack Kellogg. (Many of Sykes’ millionaire students have also become stock gurus too — we’ll talk about some of them below.)
Sykes was also a major force behind tools like the StocksToTrade platform (check out our StocksToTrade review), which helps traders quickly identify promising opportunities in the market. This tool — combined with Profit.ly — highlights Sykes’ commitment to making resources to help busy day traders.
But even with all of these achievements, not everything about Tim Sykes’ trading style is perfect.
Notably, people are concerned about Tim Sykes’ focus on high-risk opportunities, particularly penny stocks. Sykes may be legit, but penny stocks aren’t always legit.
There’s less regulation for over-the-counter stocks. This is part of Sykes’ strategy — he understands that even if a company stock has limited long-term prospects, it can still reward prospectors in the short term.
But that kind of risk isn’t for everyone.

Some critics also question whether his marketing is too “over the top” and trivializes the loss potential of day trading.
However, Sykes often counters these claims by promoting education and research in his programs and tools. The bottom line? While Tim Sykes’ methods may not be everyone’s cup of tea, he is a legit trader with valuable products and services to offer.
Tim Sykes Trading Programs: Trading Challenge, Weekend Trader Program, and More
Over the years, Tim Sykes has introduced multiple plans to share his playbook with students. Honestly, it’s all a bit staggering. Not every plan shares the same amount of info, nor does it come with the same price tag.
Here’s an overview:
Tim Sykes Profit.ly Alerts
Let’s start with the programs you’ll find on Profit.ly. There, you can subscribe to Tim’s alerts for $74.95 per month, or get a more souped-up Pennystocking Silver account that includes real-time alerts as well as chat room access, daily watchlists, and more, for $149.95 per month.

Tim Sykes Programs
If you click over to Tim Sykes’ website, there are also a variety of other programs for traders of all levels, from beginner to intermediate:

30-Day Bootcamp
- Cost: $79.00
- What you get: A comprehensive education on trading and Tim Sykes’ strategy through lessons co-hosted by one of his millionaire students, Matt Monaco.
The 30-day Bootcamp is designed for total beginners, but it gets advanced fast — luckily, there’s homework and a glossary to keep you on track. You also get access to 5,000 hours of Tim’s videos.
WallStreetZen team members have tried this course, and praise its progression from basics to more advanced trading techniques in a relatively short period. The use of specific stock and chart examples is particularly helpful in learning the ropes.
Supernova Alerts
- Cost: $497/quarter
- What you get: 3 – 5 monthly trade alerts, including entries, exits, and stop-loss prices. This plan includes educational resources, including the 13-part Supernova Lessons, 7-Figure Small Account Secrets course, a chat room, and one optional private session.
This is Tim Sykes’ most popular trading strategy, named for a supernova that shines brightest before it fizzles out. Sykes attempts to profit from stocks that are experiencing such short-term glow-up.
Access to Supernova Alerts is all about timely stock picks — you get chat room access, daily watchlists, trade alerts, and weekly lessons right from the man himself.
The Weekend Trader
- Cost: $1,997 per year
- What you get: 2 – 3 weekend trades every month, plus special Gap Trade Alerts as they occur.
If you’re looking for weekly trade setups from Tim Sykes, then the Weekend Trader program may be up your alley. Unlike the Tim Sykes Trading Challenge (we’ll get to that next), this program doesn’t require an interview and costs less to join.
You won’t get as much access to trading tools or educational resources, but you’ll still get many tips and techniques in the Weekend Trader plan.

True to its name, this program focuses on providing 2 – 3 weekend trades every month, plus special Gap Trade Alerts as they occur.
Tim Sykes Weekend Trader includes priority news and emails, a trading strategy session, a chat room, and a live “Trade-a-Thon” with the main man.
You’ll also learn from Tim Sykes in a 5-part video series called “The Weekend Trader Masterclass” to fully grasp the basic strategy involved with this method.
Tim Sykes Trading Challenge
Cost: $3,000 to $5,000 per year.
This is the big daddy package that Tim Sykes offers. Originally known as the “Tim Sykes Millionaire Challenge,” the Trading Challenge is Sykes’ premier package for people serious about trading. It’s also the program that most of his millionaire students were part of.

This club is so exclusive you have to send your email, join a waiting list, and take an interview to be invited.
It also costs significantly more to become a Tim Sykes Trading Challenge member — typically in the $3,000 – $5,000 range.
So, what do you get for all of this expense?
For starters, there is a ton of video content related to trading.

Tim Sykes Trading Challenge members also get access to stock watch lists, webinars, and an exclusive chat room.
You could even take advantage of in-person events hosted by Tim Sykes or one of his star students. So, while this does cost the most, the Trading Challenge provides the most in terms of knowledge and support to members.
Tim Sykes Student Programs
As noted previously, Tim Sykes boasts several millionaire students. And some of them have developed their own trading strategies and educational programs. Here are just a few:
Evolved Trader
Mark Croock (pronounced “crook”) was one of Tim Sykes’ first students to reach the million-dollar milestone. Eventually, he evolved his trading strategy into options, and developed the Evolved Trader program. (Note: Interested in options trading? Check out our best options trading alerts post.)
The Wolfpack
The Wolfpack is a premium membership program offered by Roland Wolf, one of Sykes’ confirmed millionaire students. Members gain access to a comprehensive video lesson library, daily live-trade webinars, live market commentary via Discord voice chat, and a 24/7 trading chat moderated by over 20 six to eight-figure traders, unlimited streaming of “Wolf Trading: A Day Trading Guide,” and weekly stock therapy group sessions.
To the Moon Report
The To the Moon Report is a trading education service led by another of Sykes’ millionaire students (and his Trading Bootcamp co-host) Matt Monaco, as well as Bryce Tuohey. They offer lessons, news, and trading plans to subscribers.
What are People Saying About Timothy Sykes?
As with many polarizing figures, reviews on Timothy Sykes are mixed.
The students who have made a million dollars are nearly always glowing in their reviews, naturally. But they’re not the only ones.
For example, on TrustPilot, where Sykes has a 4.6 rating, users praise:
- Sykes’ comprehensive educational resources on penny stock trading
- Sykes’ transparent teaching style, including sharing his own trading experiences and strategies, which helps demystify the complexities of the stock market
- Sykes’ commitment to providing timely market insights and fostering a supportive trading community is frequently highlighted as beneficial by his students.
Not everyone is as complimentary. Some of the most common Tim Sykes complaints revolve around:
- The abundance of information can be overwhelming for beginners
- The marketing tactics used to promote his programs — it can be aggressive
Timothy Sykes’ Net Worth
According to Tim Sykes’ official website, he has made over $7.8 million in profits from trading activities over 20 years.

However, given his additional ventures—including celebrity appearances and online courses—many sites estimate his net worth to be around $15 million.
Tim Sykes is also very open about his trade setups on social media and trading platforms, which gives him extra credibility with global traders.
Pros and Cons of Timothy Sykes’ Offerings
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
If you love learning about trading, you’ll find plenty of educational resources in Tim Sykes’ programs, including videos, ebooks, and webinars. | Not every Tim Sykes course is super expensive, but they often cost more than a penny stock to enter. You’ll need to make quite a bit to recoup this initial investment. |
While Sykes’ track record doesn’t guarantee success, it gives him extra credibility thanks to his long-term win-rate and growing list of star students. | Sykes focuses specifically on penny stock trading, which is prone to higher volatility, market manipulation, and illiquidity. While the potential for high returns is real, it’s not a good strategy for those interested in long-term returns or low-risk techniques. |
In many Tim Sykes courses, you’ll get access to chat rooms and forums to bounce ideas off other traders, ask questions, and learn as a community. | Making the most of a Tim Sykes course typically involves hours of reading and watching educational resources. |
Sykes promotes transparency by sharing his trades and strategies with his students on Profit.ly and via email alerts. | The wealth of educational resources in Tim Sykes’ courses could provide value, but they can also be overwhelming for new traders to digest. |
Although penny stocks are risky, Sykes often emphasizes the importance of managing risk through strategies like position sizing and stop-loss orders. | Penny stock trading is a niche market, and the strategies that work today may not work tomorrow. Plus, the commission and tax implications of frequent trading are complex and potentially costly. |
Interested in a Different Approach? Consider these Alternatives
Although Tim Sykes has a dedicated following, his methods aren’t suitable for every trader’s style.
If you aren’t wild about penny stocks, or you’re looking for a strategy that doesn’t require active monitoring, you may want to consider an alternative service.
Stock Market Guides
I’m putting Stock Market Guides at the top of this list of alternatives because if you’re looking for fast and furious alerts on a daily or near-daily basis, this might be exactly what you’re looking for.
And it’s only $69 a month.
Its edge? Backtesting. Many pro traders use backtesting to develop winning algorithms that take decision-making off their hands. In a nutshell, this strategy reviews historical data to predict future price movements better.
Although backtesting has a lot of pros, it often takes time and technical chops to use successfully. If you want to take advantage of backtesting without all the effort, Stock Market Guides has a solution.
This stock-picking site uses a proprietary algorithm to alert you whenever there’s a great opportunity in the market.
People who use Stock Market Guides appreciate its easy-to-read instructions that quickly get to the “meat and potatoes” of a trading setup.
Consider using Stock Market Guides if you’re looking for a user-friendly way to find backtested stock ideas.
Zen Investor
While researching stocks can be rewarding, it takes a lot of time and discipline.
Also, if you don’t know what you’re looking for on a company’s balance sheet, it can be difficult to distinguish between great deals and value traps.
For those struggling to find great stocks, Zen Investor can help narrow your search for just $99 per month ($79 for a limited time, using the links in this post).
This curated stock-picking service only includes tickers that have undergone the most rigorous screenings in our proprietary Zen Ratings system, which puts every stock through the ringer with a 115-factor review, which is then distilled into a simple, easy-to-read letter grade. Stocks with an “A” grade using this system have historically yielded 32.52% annual returns.

Additionally, each Zen Investor stock pick must go through a careful 4-step approval process and get a seal of approval from Wall Street veteran Steve Reitmeister.
With over 40 years of experience covering Wall Street, Reitmeister knows what to look for in a winning stock, and he’ll share his insights with you every month.
Sign up today to get exclusive access to Zen Investor’s high-conviction picks.
FINQ
FINQ is a flashy new stock-picking tool that uses the technology on everyone’s lips: Artificial Intelligence.
With a FINQ account, you don’t have to worry about bumbling human brains creating a stock strategy.
Instead, this advanced AI program scours the market for juicy opportunities to turn a profit.
Besides high-conviction buy alerts, FINQ offers short-selling ideas if you’re more interested in taking advantage of day or swing trading.
You’ll also get daily rankings of all the S&P 500 stocks based on FINQ’s logic, so you can easily see who the biggest winners and losers are.
Still not sure? You can try it for a free trial period by using the link below:
Conclusion
There’s no denying Tim Sykes is a pretty impressive dude, but does that mean you should trust him for trading advice?
Perhaps.
Tim Sykes is legit, and his trading services offer plenty of tools to help with penny stock investing.
However, keep in mind that Sykes’ methods are highly speculative and aren’t for people who like to take a passive approach to investing.
Also, Tim Sykes’ services are more expensive than many competitors, which means you need to make even more gains to recoup the initial cost.
Those looking for a less hands-on way into Wall Street may want to go with a stock-picking service like Zen Investor that sticks with lower-volatility stocks and does all the research for you.
FAQs:
How much does it cost to work with Tim Sykes?
Tim Sykes doesn't offer a standalone plan for one-on-one consultations, but some plans like SuperNova Alerts provide personalized assistance for a $497 bonus.
Is Timothy Sykes a millionaire?
Yes, Tim Sykes became a millionaire early in his trading career, and many sites estimate he has at least $15 million.
What is Tim Sykes' trading challenge?
The Trading Challenge is Tim Sykes' most elite — and most expensive — offering, which only includes pre-screened students who get access to resources, stock trading strategies, and exclusive community support.
How many students does Tim Sykes have?
Tim Sykes' website claims he has "thousands" of students and at least 40 student millionaires.
Where to Invest $1,000 Right Now?
Did you know that stocks rated as "Buy" by the Top Analysts in WallStreetZen's database beat the S&P500 by 98.4% last year?
Our April report reveals the 3 "Strong Buy" stocks that market-beating analysts predict will outperform over the next year.