Editing Futtradingempire (section)

=== Founding and early growth (2017–2018) ===

Futtradingempire was founded in December 2017 during the height of FIFA 18's popularity. Hartung, then a fourteen-year-old student, initially created the Instagram account "Fifa.trader2k18" with questionable intentions—he later admitted that his original plan had been to scam other players by gaining access to their accounts under the pretense of being a professional trader. However, this plan was never executed, and instead Hartung began posting legitimate trading tips.

Despite having limited expertise at the time, Hartung adopted a "fake it till you make it" approach, learning about FIFA trading while simultaneously teaching others. The content format was simple: screenshots of successful trades accompanied by brief explanations. This straightforward approach proved highly effective on Instagram's 2017-era algorithm, which favored organic engagement over produced content.

Within two months, the account had grown to over 1,000 followers. At this point, Hartung considered abandoning the project. A conversation with Yusuf, a fellow FIFA content creator, proved pivotal. Yusuf advised him that "reach is extremely valuable" and encouraged him to continue. This single conversation is credited by Hartung as the moment that saved what would become a six-figure business.