Yoshiaki Murakami, the self-proclaimed "professional of all professional players in the stock market," began investing while still a child.
An article of faith with Murakami watchers is that the seeds of his intense interest in investing were planted in the 47-year-old Osaka native by his father when he was only around 10 years old. At the time, the elder Murakami, a successful executive in the trading business, gave his son 1 million yen to invest in the stock market as a teaching tool.
Murakami, now a father of four, is thought to have made his first investment in Sapporo Breweries Ltd., the maker of his father's favorite beer. As a teenager, he became an avid reader of the Japan Company Handbook. After graduating from the University of Tokyo with a degree in law in 1983, Murakami joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry — now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry — where he was involved in overseeing the movie industry as well as forming legislation related to corporate mergers and acquisitions.