I became a self-made millionaire aged 26 – I learned everything on YouTube… struggling with school actually helped me

A SELF-MADE millionaire aged in his 20s has revealed how he learned how to make his fortune by watching YouTube videos.

Kasra Dash, 26, struggled with school and attended university - but attributes his vast knowledge to years of learning himself online.

The Manchester man, who emigrated to the UK from Iran when he was three years old, now has a net worth of £3million.

He was only a teenager when he decided to adopt a "fake it until you make it" approach to building a life for himself.

Kasra came to learn about digital marketing and consumed endless hours of tutorials and talks on YouTube by people who knew how to make money from SEO - before putting his findings into action.

He said: "Education was not my strong suit, I always struggled – but I’d still get things done.

"Growing up, my family weren’t rich, we didn’t have a lot of money and I was taught to work hard for the things I wanted."

Business-minded from a young age, Kasra had to get creative in his youth to find the funds to pursue his passions, which included graphic design.

His dad loaned him some money so he could buy cars at Gumtree auctions for £400 to £500, then he would fix them up on his parents' driveway and sell them for a profit.

Kasra explained: "That was my first take on digital marketing; I’d market the cars online and earn good money from it.

"I bought my first computer with the cash and then started doing web design.

"I blagged that I had experience and then taught myself how to do everything on YouTube.

"I just learned on the internet and taught myself the job."

He continued his side hustle while studying interactive media marketing at Edinburgh Napier University - but felt as though he already knew much of what was taught in the course because he had been "self-taught through YouTube".

The cash kept rolling in when Kasra graduated from his course in 2018 and started investing what he'd already earned through his ventures.

He'd initially made money from doing web design, but he said he made most of his money by "sharing knowledge" as a consultant.

Kasra went on to buy a link-building agency and invest in a software business, recently valued at £4.6million.

These days, he spends his time travelling the world speaking at events and conferences - where he is sometimes one of the youngest guys in the room.

Last month, he was in Dubai. Next month, he'll be in Vietnam, and in June he'll be in Estonia and Germany.

The millionaire assured he wasn't missing out on the traditional experiences of a 20-something despite his unusual circumstances, stating: "I work really hard but I party hard, too.

"But I’d rather a massive blow-out with friends every three months than party every weekend.

"I set myself goals, like going to the gym every day for two months, and then I’ll reward myself by going on holiday."