Editing Nico Hartung

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! colspan="2" style="background:#1a1a2e; color:white;" | Nico Hartung
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| '''Born''' || March 17, 2003
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| '''Age''' || 22
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| '''Nationality''' || German
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| '''Residence''' || Waldbronn, Germany
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| '''Occupation''' || Entrepreneur
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| '''Business''' || [[Futtradingempire]]
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| '''Religion''' || Christian (non-denominational)
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| '''Marital Status''' || Married
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'''Nico Hartung''' (born March 17, 2003) is a German entrepreneur and founder of [[Futtradingempire]], a FIFA Ultimate Team trading education business. He is known for his unconventional path to faith—arriving at Christianity through conspiracy theory research rather than religious upbringing—and his subsequent departure from charismatic church culture after theological disagreements about the doctrine of the Trinity.

== Early Life ==

Nico was born in Germany to a German father and an Italian mother. He grew up in Waldbronn, a small town near Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg. His household was secular; religion played no role in his upbringing. He was raised with a sister, Alessia, who is approximately two years younger.

From a young age, Nico displayed an entrepreneurial mindset and an attraction to unconventional thinking. He was not a passive child—he questioned, researched, and formed strong opinions. As a teenager, he was an atheist by conviction, actively dismissing and mocking religious belief.

== Family ==

Nico's extended family, particularly on his mother's Italian side, would later play a significant role in his life:

* '''Father''' — German, operates a business (Reha-Industriekomponenten)
* '''Mother''' — Italian
* '''Alessia''' — Sister, born 2004
* '''Mimmo Tuccillo''' — Uncle (mother's brother), key figure in Nico's conversion to Christianity
* '''Antonella''' — Aunt (Mimmo's wife)
* '''Sofia''' — Cousin (Mimmo's daughter), brought Nico to the youth group
* '''Samuel''' — Cousin
* '''Max''' — Cousin
* '''Opa Luigi''' — Grandfather (Italian side)
* '''Oma''' — Grandmother (Italian side)
* '''Antonino''' — Uncle

== Business Career ==

=== Futtradingempire ===
{{Main|Futtradingempire}}

Nico founded '''Futtradingempire''' as a teenager, building a business around FIFA Ultimate Team trading strategies. The company offers educational content, trading signals, and community membership for FIFA players seeking to build coin wealth through market trading rather than purchasing FIFA Points.

At its peak, Futtradingempire generated significant revenue through monthly and annual subscriptions. Nico worked with collaborators including Ben, and employed various marketing strategies including TikTok content creation.

=== Work with Father ===
At various points, Nico has worked in his father's business, typically handling morning shifts from 9:00 to 14:00. This arrangement allowed him to maintain his own business activities while contributing to the family enterprise.

== Religious Journey ==

=== From Atheism to Theism (2015–2019) ===
Nico's path to faith began unexpectedly in 2015, when he became fascinated by the Germanwings Flight 9525 crash. Research into the incident led him to conspiracy theory content, which he consumed intensively for years: Jeffrey Epstein, Pizzagate, secret societies, elite satanic rituals.

The cumulative effect of this research was philosophical rather than paranoid: if genuine devil worship existed among powerful people, the devil must be real. And if the devil was real, God must be too. By age sixteen, Nico had reasoned his way from convinced atheism to theism.

=== Conversion (2019) ===
Seeking the correct religion, Nico recalled his uncle Mimmo, who attended a free church. During an extended stay at Mimmo's home, Nico asked hundreds of questions about faith, the Bible, and the difference between Catholic and Protestant Christianity. By the end of that visit, he had prayed the "sinner's prayer" and attended his first services at Missionswerk Strahlen der Freude in Pforzheim.

=== Youth Group Years (2021–2024) ===
{{Main|Nico's Youth Group Years}}

From November 2021 to May 2024, Nico was an active member of the youth group at Missionswerk Strahlen der Freude. During this period, he was baptized (March 19, 2022), participated in charismatic practices including speaking in tongues and prophetic ministry, and experienced significant personal development alongside recurring struggles with relationships.

He departed the church in May 2024 due to theological disagreements regarding the doctrine of the Trinity, having developed subordinationist views through study of ante-Nicene Church Fathers.

=== Current Faith ===
Nico identifies as Christian but no longer affiliates with charismatic or Pentecostal movements. He views many practices he witnessed—speaking in tongues, prophetic words, prayer ministry—as psychological manipulation rather than genuine spiritual activity. He continues to study Scripture and theology independently, with particular interest in early church history and the development of Trinitarian doctrine.

== Personal Life ==

=== Relationships ===
Nico had a brief relationship with Damaris, a member of the youth group, from June to August 2022. He ended the relationship during the summer retreat in Austria, later describing the entire period as immature and knowing from the beginning it was not right.

Nico is currently married.

=== Interests ===
* '''UFC''' — Long-time fan, regularly watches events and follows fighters
* '''FIFA''' — Both as a business and hobby
* '''Football Manager''' — Played extensive career saves (notably with Karlsruher SC)
* '''Fitness''' — Began serious gym training in late 2022
* '''Theology''' — Particularly early church history and doctrinal development
* '''Conspiracy research''' — Maintains interest in elite networks, media manipulation, and hidden power structures

=== Vehicles ===
Nico purchased his first car, a Golf Cabriolet, in June 2022. He has also driven his father's Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet.

=== Travel ===
Notable trips include:
* '''Dubai''' (February 2022) — With father, contracted COVID-19 during the trip
* '''Rimini, Italy''' (May–June 2022) — With friend Deni
* '''Sorrento, Italy''' (July 2022) — With friend Tim
* '''Umhausen, Austria''' (August 2022) — Youth group summer retreat
* '''Cesenatico, Italy''' (September 2022) — Family trip

== Character ==

Those who know Nico describe him as direct, confident, and unafraid of confrontation. He forms strong opinions and expresses them openly. He is self-aware about his flaws—including struggles with pride, ego, and attraction to women—and documents them honestly rather than concealing them.

His approach to faith mirrors his general disposition: he questions everything, distrusts institutional authority, and arrives at conclusions through personal research rather than accepting received wisdom. This trait led him both into and eventually out of charismatic Christianity.

== See Also ==
* [[Futtradingempire]]
* [[Nico's Youth Group Years]]

== Sources ==
* Day One Personal Journal, 2021–2025
* Interviews and conversations, 2026

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Business]]
[[Category:Faith]]