Business clubs compete in simulated stock market

Chris Frego managed to turn $500,000 into $5 million over the span of a month — with simulated money.

Frego, a 21-year-old UF management senior, is the sole trader for the Christian Business Leaders in the Heavener Student Investment Challenge. The challenge pits seven business clubs against each other to see who can make the most money on MarketShare, a stock market simulation. The competition started Sept. 24 and ends Dec. 1.

Frego, who has been trading stocks for four years, said Jordan Belfort in the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street” inspired his strategy. He trades small stocks and makes money off the fluctuating value.

“It’s not a low-risk strategy,” he said. “Over time, I’ve gotten better and better at it.”

Cameron Barsoum, a 20-year-old UF management junior and president of the Student Investment Club, noticed Frego’s hustle.

“We took riskier moves because Christian Business Leaders had a really fast start,” Barsoum said.

Andrew Tran, the president of the Business Administration College Council, said the competition helps students prove their industry knowledge. His organization provides the MarketShare program.

“We are the ones who provide the support and infrastructure, but they are the ones who drive the vision,” the 20-year-old said.

The winning club gets to join the ranks of previous winners by having their club and team members’ names engraved on a plaque in Heavener Hall.

“Twenty years down the line it will be really cool to see,” he said.