Yep, I got a PhD in Amateur Trading in the 90’s with Terry McAulluf’sic World Com was it? Farmland only after that.
I had a 'friend' from Boston that went into the brokerage business in the late 70s and based on his "inside knowledge" I bought $80 K worth of that crap "Global Crossing" and watched it go in the dumpster.
When it got down to single digits he recommended I sell, but I was flying high with some other real brokers, and I opted to take it all the way down and take the write off.
I never used a "friend" as a broker after that, it clouds your judgment.
Terry Mac was/is a crooked demonRAT and has made millions using his Clinton connections, including that fake car company he owned.