Futtradingempire

Futtradingempire
Founder	Nico Hartung
Founded	December 2017
Headquarters	Germany
Industry	Gaming, Digital Media
Products	Trading community, Discord group, AI tools
Revenue	€200,000+ (lifetime)
Peak revenue	€10,500/month (October 2021)
Employees	1 (previously 2)
Website	instagram.com/futtradingempire

Futtradingempire is a German FIFA Ultimate Team trading community and content brand founded in December 2017 by Nico Hartung, who was fourteen years old at the time. What began as a small Instagram page sharing trading tips grew into a six-figure business, generating over €200,000 in revenue across nine years of operation. The company is notable for its unconventional origin story, its dramatic rise and decline, and its early adoption of artificial intelligence tools for content generation.

History

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.

Monetization and growth (2019–2020)

By 2019, Hartung had begun monetizing his audience through a subscription-based Discord trading group hosted on Patreon. Members paid between €10 and €20 per month for access to premium trading tips, market analysis, and community features. The business model was straightforward: free content on Instagram served as a funnel to the paid Discord community.

During this period, Hartung also acquired a second FIFA-related Instagram page called FutZone, diversifying his traffic sources. His initial revenue goals were modest—first €100 per month, then €1,000—but these targets were quickly exceeded as the community grew.

Peak period (2021)

The year 2021 represented the apex of Futtradingempire's commercial success. In October 2021, the company recorded its highest-ever monthly revenue of €10,500. The September 2021 to May 2022 period alone generated approximately €53,000 in revenue.

Several factors contributed to this peak: FIFA 22 was commercially successful, Instagram's algorithm still favored gaming content, Discord-based communities were trending, and Hartung had built substantial credibility within the FIFA trading community. The premium pricing of €20 per month proved sustainable as members perceived genuine value in the offerings.

Paradoxically, this period of peak success coincided with Hartung's declining interest in both FIFA and the business itself. As he later explained, his focus shifted first from FIFA to general business interests, and then from business to religious faith. This gradual disengagement would have significant long-term consequences.

The Ben era (2021–2025)

In summer 2021, at the height of the company's success, Hartung hired Ben, a fellow FIFA content creator, as a part-time employee at €500 per month. Initially responsible for content support, Ben's role expanded over time until he was effectively managing all aspects of the business—content creation, Discord moderation, and marketing.

This arrangement allowed Hartung to step back almost entirely from day-to-day operations. While this enabled him to pursue personal interests, it also meant that no one was actively innovating or adapting the business to changing market conditions. The company operated on autopilot.

In 2025, Hartung and Ben parted ways amicably. By this point, the business had declined significantly, and Ben's involvement had also diminished. Hartung found himself solely responsible for all operations once again.

Decline (2022–2026)

Following the 2021 peak, Futtradingempire experienced a sustained decline in revenue. Peak monthly revenue fell from €10,500 in 2021 to approximately €10,000 in 2022, €6,000 in 2023, €3,800 in 2024, €2,122 in September 2025, and €800 in January 2026—representing a 92% decline over four years.

Multiple factors contributed to this decline. The FIFA franchise itself experienced reduced popularity, with Hartung describing the game as having "completely tanked." Instagram's algorithm changes made organic reach increasingly difficult for gaming content, and the simple screenshot-based content that had worked in 2017 no longer generated engagement. Additionally, the departure of Ben left Hartung struggling to manage all aspects of the business alone, including content creation, community management, and marketing.

As of January 2026, the company retained approximately 40 paying members at €20 per month.

AI pivot and future plans (2024–present)

In 2024, Hartung developed an AI-powered trading assistant in an attempt to revitalize the business. The system, built using Flowise, scans external premium trading Discord servers, extracts trading signals using artificial intelligence, processes them through a Telegram-based approval workflow, and automatically posts verified tips to the Futtradingempire Discord. The system also includes portfolio tracking with live price data.

According to Hartung, this AI implementation prevented an even steeper decline: "Without the AI, we would have completely tanked this year."

In 2025-2026, Hartung began exploring the development of a dedicated mobile application for Futtradingempire. Drawing on experience gained from building an unrelated Dart/Expo application, he envisions an app offering tools such as a tax calculator, flip timer, and portfolio tracker, with potential integration of the existing AI systems. The app would operate on a freemium model, potentially reducing dependence on Discord subscriptions.

Business model

Futtradingempire's primary revenue source has been its subscription-based Discord community, accessed through Patreon. Members pay €20 per month for premium trading tips, market analysis, and community access. Free content on Instagram serves as the primary customer acquisition channel.

Additional revenue has come from affiliate partnerships, most notably a cooperation agreement with Hansel Delgado, which provides commission-based income independent of direct subscription sales.

Financial performance

Over its nine-year history, Futtradingempire has generated total revenue exceeding €200,000. With relatively low operating costs—primarily Ben's €500 monthly salary over approximately four years, totaling around €24,000—estimated net profit approaches €175,000.

Revenue has followed predictable seasonal patterns aligned with FIFA's annual release cycle. New FIFA titles release in September, making September and October peak revenue months. Revenue typically declines through spring, with summer months representing the lowest activity period.

Annual peak monthly revenue

Year	Peak month	Revenue
2021	October	€10,500
2022	October	~€10,000
2023	October	€6,000
2024	October	€3,800
2025	September	€2,122
2026	January	€800

Key figures

Nico Hartung (born c. 2003) is the founder and sole current operator of Futtradingempire. He dropped out of school to pursue the business full-time during its growth phase, though he later described his commitment as inconsistent. His interests have shifted over time from FIFA to business to religious faith, affecting his engagement with the company.

Ben served as a part-time employee from 2021 to 2025, eventually handling all operational aspects of the business. His departure in 2025 left Hartung managing the company alone.

Yusuf was a fellow FIFA content creator whose advice to Hartung in 2018—that "reach is extremely valuable"—convinced him to continue the business rather than abandoning it at 1,000 followers.

Analysis and lessons

The Futtradingempire story offers several insights relevant to creator economy businesses:

Platform dependency proved problematic, as the company relied heavily on Instagram for customer acquisition and Discord for product delivery. Changes to Instagram's algorithm significantly impacted growth, while dependence on a single game (FIFA) made the business vulnerable to shifts in that game's popularity.

Founder engagement emerged as critical to sustained success. During periods when Hartung was actively involved, the business grew; during periods of disengagement, it declined despite having an employee managing operations.

Timing and market conditions played a significant role. The company benefited enormously from favorable conditions in 2017-2021—effective organic reach, trending Discord communities, and peak FIFA popularity—that no longer exist.

The limitations of autopilot operation became apparent during the Ben era. While delegation allowed the business to continue functioning, it did not produce innovation or adaptation to changing market conditions.

See also

• FIFA Ultimate Team
• Creator economy
• Discord communities

References

This article is based on a documented interview with founder Nico Hartung conducted in January 2026.