One Prop Trader a Day – Özgür Oruç: Funded on the First Account I Ever Bought
TL;DR — interview summary
Özgür Oruç reports becoming funded in November 2025 on his first purchased account after learning through free resources and backtesting. He trades gold using range and market structure, and describes recovering from a 7% challenge drawdown. His central lessons concern risk management, following his strategy and stepping away when his mindset deteriorates. This is one trader’s reported experience, not evidence of typical results.
One Prop Trader a Day – Episode 68
Özgür Oruç
How did Özgür Oruç get funded on his first prop trading account? The Turkish university student credits risk management, free learning resources, extensive backtesting, and stepping away when trading affects his mindset. In this interview, he explains his gold-trading approach, a challenge drawdown of 7%, and the lessons he learned after receiving his first payout.
First funding and payout
Hello, I’m Özgür. I’m 20 years old and a university student, and I’m Turkish. I’ve been trading XAU – gold – for about a year.
I got funded in November 2025. It was something I’d dreamed of for a long time, and it significantly boosted my self-confidence. With the first payout I received from my 10k account, I bought a 50k account. But I wouldn’t recommend that – instead, you should buy things that will give you more enjoyment.
None of my accounts have failed. I was funded with the very first account I bought, which I owe to my risk management. That said, if you have enough money to buy several accounts, I recommend being bolder. I also didn’t pay for any courses to learn trading – I just used free resources and did a lot of backtesting.
Drawdown and trading mindset
It was not effortless, though. My account that is currently funded was at -7% during the initial challenge phase, after six months of effort. But I never considered giving up completely; I just took a break to clear my head. The most difficult part of this is definitely the mental aspect, and the moment I feel my mental state is being affected, I shut down the chart.
Gold trading and market structure
I’ve been trading a single pair, XAU, for a while now. I usually set my bias on the higher timeframes – the daily and 4-hour – and trade the 15-minute and 30-minute ranges. My strategy is primarily based on range and market structure. Spending all day in front of a screen isn’t for me: I set alarms for the prices I’m expecting and carry on with my daily routine. I only spend long hours looking at charts when I’m taking trades or reviewing past price action.
My most recent loss came because I didn’t stick to my strategy. But it’s important to remember that even when you do stick to it, a 100% win rate isn’t possible. People new to this job tend to get hung up on wording. You can’t memorise all the structures and rules – what matters is understanding how the market actually works.
Lifestyle and strategy discipline
People who see this for the first time usually view it as gambling. I wouldn’t recommend talking about what you do with people who know nothing about it until you start making money. As for how it changes your life: constantly checking price fluctuations on your phone can be annoying for the people around you. And of course, your standard of living improves over time.
What separates me from someone who washes out? In the first two stages, people generally don’t see the numbers written there as real money. But in the third stage, driven by the desire to possess that money and get a payout quickly, they abandon the strategy and enter trades they wouldn’t otherwise take. A year ago I was aware of how serious this was, but I didn’t know it was so crucial that I absolutely should not abandon my strategy. That is what I would have told myself.
A hypothetical million-dollar account
If prop firms disappeared, that would be a terrible scenario – they are a huge opportunity for traders with limited capital. But even then, I would still continue trading with my own money. And if I were handed a $1,000,000 funded account today, I wouldn’t touch it until I had consolidated my 10k funded and 50k step one accounts. After that, I would gradually advance it with low-risk trades.
Verification certificate
FTMO Passed Verification certificate supplied with this interview. It provides context for his reported evaluation result; it does not independently verify payouts, net earnings or current account status.
Interview FAQs
Editorial answers summarizing Özgür’s account above.
When did Özgür become funded?
He reports becoming funded in November 2025 on the first prop trading account he purchased. This is his account of his experience, not a typical pass-rate statistic.
What does he trade?
He describes trading gold (XAU), setting direction on the daily and four-hour charts and using 15-minute and 30-minute ranges for execution.
How did he learn to trade?
He says he used free learning resources and extensive backtesting rather than paid courses. The interview does not provide independently verified backtest results.
Did his first-account success involve drawdown?
Yes. He reports that the account reached a 7% drawdown during the initial challenge phase. He describes taking breaks when trading affected his mindset.
What did he do with his first payout?
He says he used the first payout from a 10k account to buy a 50k account, but says he would not recommend that choice. His experience does not guarantee similar results for others.
Source and editorial note
The primary source is JoinProp’s interview with Özgür Oruç, originally published July 20, 2026 and reproduced above. His LinkedIn profile provides identity context, not independent verification of trading performance.
Funding, drawdown and payout statements are his personal reports and have not been independently audited. Age and biographical details refer to the time of the interview. His comments about taking more risk and improving living standards are personal views, not JoinProp recommendations or promised outcomes. The million-dollar account scenario is hypothetical. The summary, navigation, FAQs and editorial notes were updated September 24, 2026; his original account remains unchanged.
FTMO links on this page are referral links. JoinProp may receive a commission if you sign up through them.
About the writer – Özgür Oruç
Özgür Oruç is a 20-year-old trader and university student from Turkey who has been trading gold (XAU) for about a year. He sets his bias on the daily and 4-hour charts and executes on the 15- and 30-minute, with a strategy built around range and market structure. Self-taught entirely through free resources and extensive backtesting, he passed on the very first account he ever purchased and got funded with FTMO in November 2025 – crediting strict risk management, and a rule of closing the charts the moment his mindset slips.
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