The person behind the portfolio

I am Dirk Kuyken, a Belgian technology professional and investor
building a long-term portfolio around clarity, measured risk, and disciplined capital allocation.

Hi, this is me!
Hi, this is me!
My second home: São Paulo
My second home: São Paulo
F1 fan
F1 fan
I love nature
I love nature
My cat: Lupi
My cat: Lupi
Porsche enthusiast
Porsche enthusiast
Hi, this is me!
Hi, this is me!
My second home: São Paulo
My second home: São Paulo
F1 fan
F1 fan
I love nature
I love nature
My cat: Lupi
My cat: Lupi
Porsche enthusiast
Porsche enthusiast
About me

Personal background, temperament, and what shapes the way I move.

A mix of technology, measured ambition, and lived experience.

My name is Dirk. I am 37 and I live in Belgium. I am a curious person who likes to understand how things work, why people think the way they do, and how small choices shape the bigger picture.

I work in technology, where I build digital systems and solve complex problems. I enjoy the thinking behind it: breaking something down, finding the core issue, and creating a clear solution. My job fits me because it matches the way my mind works. I like structure, logic, and steady improvement. But even though I care about my work, it is not the only thing that defines me. Who I am as a person matters more to me.

I expect a lot from myself. I set high goals and I work hard to reach them, but not at the cost of my health or the people around me. I believe in growing through life with direction, patience, and purpose.

Dirk Kuyken portrait
Country
Belgium
Work
Technology
Age
37
Personality
Optimistic cowboy

In one line

Excited by ideas, driven by ambition, and always trying to build something meaningful.

“Most of the progress I have made in life came from choosing to try something new, even when I was not fully ready.”

Stepping out of my comfort zone has pushed me forward more than anything else. It has not always been pleasant. It brought stress, anxiety, and moments where nothing felt certain. But each time, I came out stronger. It taught me that taking risks demands a lot, but also gives a lot, personally and financially. Most of the progress I have made in life came from choosing to try something new, even when I was not fully ready.

Who I am

I am calm by nature. I do not rush and I do not pretend. I enjoy simple routines, good food, and conversations that feel honest. I like the feeling of moving toward something meaningful at my own pace. I value open communication, honesty, and respect for individuality. I prefer people who show their true selves instead of putting on a mask. I feel most connected to people who speak openly and do not fear judgement. I try to offer that same space to others.

Brazil

Moving to Brazil for a year made a deep impact on who I am today. People there are warm and expressive. They live with an openness that made me rethink how I communicate and how I show up in relationships. That experience helped me relax, trust more, and understand myself better.

Financial journey

How risk, property, markets, and study became one investment mindset.

Not one big breakthrough. More a sequence of experiments, lessons, mistakes, and deliberate refinement.

01

Freedom first

Starting point

My interest in finance started in a light-hearted way. I once joked that if I ever had a midlife crisis, I wanted to be able to buy myself a Porsche 911. But underneath that joke was a real desire for freedom, the freedom to make choices without stressing about money. That small idea slowly grew into a bigger goal: building a life where I am financially stable, independent, and in control of my future.

02

Learning through risk

My first steps into finance came through real experience. Buying my first investment property at a young age taught me what it means to take a calculated risk. It showed me how responsibility feels when you commit to something that is not guaranteed but still makes sense in your gut. A few years later I bought a second property, and again I felt that mix of fear and excitement. Those moments taught me more about finance than any book could: opportunities come and go quickly, and sometimes you have to act before you are ready. I also explored different areas of the financial world. I bought my first stock and learned the importance of looking beyond dividends or simple ideas. I experimented with Forex trading, took a loss, and realised that some forms of risk do not match who I am. Those lessons shaped my approach moving forward: slow, intentional, and grounded in understanding rather than hoping.

03

Structure and discipline

As my interest grew, I wanted a stronger foundation, so I studied to become an investment advisor and got certified by Syntra PXL. This helped me understand financial systems in a deeper way: how markets work, the correlation of inflation and interest, how risk behaves, and why long-term thinking matters. It gave me structure and clarity, something that fits how I like to operate in general. Over the years, all these experiences blended together. I learned how to read a company, how to recognise opportunity, how to stay patient, and how to stay calm when things move fast. I learned that risk is not something to avoid, it is something to respect. And most importantly, I learned that knowledge is only useful when you combine it with discipline and intention.

04

A long-term operating system

Today, I would describe myself as someone who understands both the technical and emotional sides of finance. I know how to look at the numbers, but I also know how to stay steady when those numbers move. My background is not built on shortcuts or big wins. It is built on curiosity, practice, mistakes, reflection, and a real desire to grow in a responsible way. My journey toward financial freedom started with a dream about a Porsche. Now it is a mindset, a calm and intentional way of handling money that aligns with the person I try to be every day.

Life timeline

Risks, decisions, and turning points.

A chronological view of the choices that shaped how I think, work, and invest.

2013

First investment property

At the age of 24 I bought my first investment property. Together with my dad I attended a public auction, I raised my hand, and not much later I was a proud home owner.

2015

Moved to Brazil

I was offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to take on a temporary role in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I was scared at first, but I would not hesitate a second time. It became one of the most valuable years of my life.

2016

Second investment property

When an opportunity passes by, you need to jump on it. I did not expect the sellers to accept my offer on the first day on the market, and I was scared to ask the bank for a second mortgage.

2016

Bought my first stock

With some spare money I bought my first stock, Engie SA, for its dividend. I held it for several years and learned that after taxes the return was barely meaningful.

2017

First FX experience

A friend introduced me to algorithmic Forex trading. It was interesting to learn, but I lost my deposit due to a margin call on highly leveraged positions. Valuable lesson, but not a path I continued.

2017

Became a contractor

I temporarily moved to Amsterdam and worked on Liberty Global's next-generation TV platform. It was a demanding period and a major professional step.

2018

Founded Juntec BV

After moving back to Belgium while still working for Liberty Global, I decided to fully commit to my freelance path and founded my company.

2019

Bought my third house

Together with my girlfriend, I bought a house to create a home for ourselves.

2020

Funded my eToro account

It was a volatile introduction to the stock market. Losing heavily early on was painful, but it also became part of the learning curve.

2025

Became a Popular Investor

After years of building experience and discipline in the market, I felt I had reached a point where I could responsibly share my knowledge and approach.

2026

Stopped freelancing

With freelancing you take a risk where you trade in your social security for extra money, with the recent AI developments I felt that risk/reward ratio was no longer worth it. I believe the IT industry will be heavily disrupted in the coming years, and I want to be able to adapt without worrying about my financial stability.