Why Edson Tay Chose the Markets Over a Conventional Career

To many, trading looks like a gamble. Screens flash with charts, numbers rise and fall, and fortunes can change in a heartbeat. But for Edson Tay, trading is neither luck nor impulse. It is a craft of patience, data, and discipline. Where most of his peers pursued stable careers through professional degrees, Edson chose a path that demanded resilience and self-belief. 

Today, he is a full-time trader whose work is as much about managing risk and emotions as it is about reading markets. His story is one of turning a teenage experiment into a lifelong pursuit.

Early Sparks: Numbers, Sports, and First Encounters with Trading

Numbers had always been Edson’s strongest suit. In school, he thrived in mathematics, finishing his IGCSEs with eight A*S and one A, while also balancing the demands of being house captain, heavily involved in athletics, and taking part in a wide range of extracurricular activities. Out of everything he tried, math felt like the most natural path forward. “Skill-wise, ability-wise, math was just my strongest…I felt a natural pull towards that,” he said.

That path took an unexpected turn when a friend introduced him to Forex trading. At first, it was nothing more than curiosity and the possibility of pocket money. “The first spark was at 16 or 17 years old in the A-levels when one of my friends introduced it to me,” he recalled. “Of course it was for the intention of making money on the side.”

The early attempts were more fun than fruitful. He traded casually with friends, losing money but enjoying the thrill of trying. “Even though it was fun, it was terrible on the results side. But then it was fun because you're doing it with a bunch of friends.”

What began as a hobby slowly grew into something more serious. After more than a year of following others’ advice, Edson realised he could not keep being, as he put it, a ‘sheep’. He had to take ownership. That meant studying charts on his own, conducting online research, and testing strategies against real data until he began forming his conclusions. Trading stopped being a novelty and became something more profound: a craft that demanded independence, courage, and patience.

Between Heriot-Watt and the Markets

After A-Levels at Taylor’s, Edson took the natural extension of his love for math and enrolled in actuarial science at Heriot-Watt University. Lecturers had encouraged him toward the course, and among math-related degrees, it seemed the best fit. 

It took only one year for trading to eclipse everything else. “After the first year of my Actuarial Science degree, I realised that I enjoyed trading a lot more compared to what Actuarial Science was actually about,” he admitted. From then on, his mind was set: finish the degree for his parents, but give his best energy to the markets.

While balancing those two worlds was draining, dropping out was never an option. “Though I was on a partial scholarship, my parents were still paying the majority, so I felt this responsibility to maintain effort,” he explained. 

Nonetheless, university provided lessons that stayed with him. Some classmates were also traders, giving him peers to exchange ideas with. “Even during classes, we were bouncing ideas and talking about what we would do in the future,” he said. The course also taught him new ways to think about risk. Concepts like ‘risk of ruin”, the probability of total bankruptcy, reshaped how he designed his systems and ensured resilience against volatility.

Though actuarial science never became his passion, his time at Heriot-Watt provided him with connections, discipline, and concepts he carried into full-time trading. More importantly, it confirmed what he already suspected. His life would not be built on actuarial tables but on the charts and patterns of the market.

From Graduation to Full-Time Trading

By the time Edson completed his actuarial science degree, his life direction was already clear. He and his parents had reached an agreement years earlier: finish university first, then pursue trading. 

Once free to focus fully, Edson began managing accounts for relatives and friends, while also trading with proprietary firms that provided virtual capital in exchange for a share of profits. “A prop firm is basically where they give you virtual money. You trade for them, and if you make a profit in the account, they give you a cut from it,” he explained. His portfolio grew to include Forex pairs, commodities like gold and silver, US stocks, indices, and Bitcoin.

The reality of trading proved very different from the quick-money image many outsiders carried. “Whenever we look at our portfolio, we’re human, and we still see the monetary value at the end of the day,” he said. “It’s a lot, psychologically, for me to calm myself down. Regardless of what the number says, you stick to your rules.”

Looking back, Edson sees persistence and humility as the qualities that separate lasting traders from those who give up. “Markets will always humble you,” he said. “As time goes on, you have to find ways to improve and adapt.”

Trading Alone, Living in Community

As much as trading gives Edson freedom, it has also brought a sense of isolation. Most days are spent at home, analysing charts and managing positions. At times, he wishes he had someone to share the struggle with. “You definitely wish that you had someone to talk to,” he said. “Although there are online communities, at the end of the day, they don’t care whether you do well or not.”

To avoid burning out, Edson emphasises protecting time away from the screens. Evenings are spent over family dinners and conversations with his brother. Weekends are devoted to his church community: a source of encouragement and belonging. 

For Edson, trading is not just about building wealth but about learning discipline, patience, and balance. The charts may be his workplace, but family and faith keep him grounded.

Looking Ahead: A Future Beyond the Charts

Edson’s ambitions extend further than trading for himself. In the next decade, he hopes to establish his own private equity firm, keeping it intentionally small and private. Alongside that, he wants to pursue education, whether through teaching trading or mathematics. “I teach math privately on the side and I really enjoy it,” he says.

Asked what advice he has for those who want to follow a non-traditional path, Edson pointed to preparation. “Do your own research,” he said. “And also talk to someone who has been doing it for a good amount of time. Combine both, and you’ll be more confident to step into something unconventional.”

For Edson, trading has always been about more than profit. It is a long game, built on resilience, humility, and connection: the same qualities he hopes will define whatever he builds next.