Felix Prehn GOAT Academy Review at a glance (updated September 2026)
Quick Verdict: Is GOAT Academy Worth Paying For?
Is GOAT Academy Legit? Our investigation strongly suggests that Felix Prehn — now marketing under the "Felix & Friends" brand — and GOAT Academy rely on deceptive marketing tactics.
I would not enroll without clear written refund conditions, a precise explanation of trading risks, and evidence supporting the marketing claims.
My strongest concerns involve the refund process described in my investigation and the customer reports presented below. I also examine historical biographical sources and a Trustpilot transparency snapshot.
The public sources I found describe Felix (Nikolas) Prehn as an artist and a wine salesman for his family's business. None of them verify the Wall Street investment-banking career he describes.
Users consistently report difficulty obtaining the “guaranteed” refund, and tiered pricing based on wealth, and in my analysis the strategy's example trades have a negative expected return.
We advise traders to avoid GOAT Academy and instead use high-probability options strategies to gain a mathematical edge.
Felix Prehn & GOAT Academy: 2026 Status Update
As of September 2026, Felix Prehn and GOAT Academy are still actively marketing trading courses through paid YouTube ads, Instagram, and Facebook.
Recent developments:
- GOAT Academy has reportedly raised pricing on its flagship mentorship program
- Multiple new complaints have surfaced on Trustpilot and Reddit
- It appears that Felix Prehn now collects people's phone numbers in exchange for free training and then his sales team aggressively calls and solicits, without permission, to sell expensive courses and memberships
- Felix continues to claim he is a former institutional investment banker, although the public sources I found describe him, as Nikolas Prehn, as an artist and a wine salesman for his family's business, and none verify a banking career
- The refund policy remains effectively unenforceable according to student reports
Key Takeaways
- Felix Prehn's full name is Felix Nikolas Prehn. Before trading, he worked as a German artist (as Nikolas Prehn) and sold wine for his family's import business; I found no record that verifies the investment-banking career he markets
- UK Companies House lists him (as Nikolas Felix Prehn) as a former director of Donnach Whisky Limited, and a 2016 video shows him presenting wines for his family's Viña Maria label
- In my analysis of the example trades Felix presents, the expected value is negative (the math is in my video review above)
- GOAT Academy has marketed a 90-day "100% Money Back Guarantee"; students report conditions (such as finishing the whole course first) that make refunds very hard to obtain
- Multiple students report being denied refunds and forced to file credit card chargebacks
- Felix reportedly charges different prices based on a prospect's wealth level
- In my opinion, Felix Prehn is the second most dangerous predator that I've ever reviewed (the only person who's worse is Invest with Corey - and I believe that Felix is more predatory than people like Kiana Danial / Invest Diva, Options with Ryan and even people like Tim Sykes, Charlie Plattus from ZipTrader and Anton Kreil from ITPM.
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There are 9 primary reasons why, in my opinion, Felix Prehn and GOAT Academy are a scam:
1) Felix Prehn’s public story does not match the record
In the video above, Felix Prehn talks about working on the trading floor, getting an interview at a major investment bank because of a friend and then starting the next day.
As a former investment banker who has worked at numerous Wall Street investment banks this is not how the industry works.
Felix claims that his "banker friends" make "100% a year as their normal" - yet almost all hedge funds fail to beat the S&P 500.
If his "banker friends" made those returns then every one of them would be the richest people on earth within a short period of time.
His full name is Felix Nikolas Prehn (UK Companies House lists him as Nikolas Felix Prehn); before the trading brand, he went by Nikolas Prehn.
His former personal website, nikolasprehn.com, (now forwarding to his new website, FelixPrehn.com), presented him as a painter:
German artist Nikolas Prehn is internationally known for his appreciation and wonder of the natural world.
Nikolas paints on the peak of a mountain overlooking natural lush forests and a wide ocean – this energy is captured in his art. He uses only sustainably sourced natural rock from France and pure Japanese linseed oil.
Before rebranding as a trading guru, he worked in his family's alcohol business, including its Viña Maria wine label.
In fact, older videos from circa 2016 show “Niko Prehn” selling wine for the family business - not trading on Wall Street.
This contradicts his marketing persona of being a high-flying investment banker who retired early solely from trading profits.
Nikolas Prehn selling wine for the family business, circa 2016
He was also a director of a whisky company. UK Companies House lists Nikolas Felix Prehn, a German national, as a director of Donnach Whisky Limited (company number SC381772), appointed 9 July 2010. The company was dissolved on 14 September 2021.
The South China Morning Post, reporting on his wedding in October 2009, called him a "wine-importer."
An archived Hong Kong Trade Development Council supplier listing names Nikolas Prehn as General Manager, Asia-Pacific, of Rudolf Prehn GmbH, which describes itself as a family business founded in 1928:
HKTDC archived listing connecting Rudolf Prehn GmbH to the family wine business
https://www.go4worldbusiness.com/member/view/1109446/rudolf-prehn-gmbh.html
Every role I could document is in art or the alcohol trade.
In fact, the video below, recorded around 2016, shows him presenting wines under the family's Viña Maria label.
I have found no evidence that Nikolas Prehn / Felix Prehn has any prior finance or trading experience at all.
2) Felix Prehn & GOAT Academy’s Refund Guarantee: Is the 90-Day Guarantee a Scam?
One of the biggest complaints against GOAT Academy is the alleged “bait and switch” refund policy.
Marketing materials promise a “100% Money Back Guarantee.” However, numerous student reports indicate that to qualify, you must:
- Complete the entire course (which takes months).
- Execute specific trades for a full year.
- Submit a journal of every trade.
By the time you realize the strategy doesn’t work, the refund window has often closed, or the requirements are made impossibly tedious to fulfill.
The version I ran into on the inside is more specific than “they denied my refund.” The guarantee I was shown required finishing the course. The platform also counted hundreds of “miscellaneous videos” toward completion.
Counting additional videos toward completion could make the requirement more burdensome than a buyer expects. The key questions are which videos were required, how completion was measured, and whether the requirements changed after purchase.
The staff named in that process, on camera in my undercover video, were a salesperson called Aaron and a coach called Patrick. I am describing what I was told and shown, not a court finding.
The point is structural: a refund that depends on finishing a course that is almost impossible to finish is a refund you should not count on.
Before relying on this guarantee, obtain a written definition of course completion, the applicable deadline, and every required trading or documentation condition.
As of September 2026, reports continue to surface regarding Felix Prehn and GOAT Academy denying customer refunds. If you are struggling to get your money back from this trading program, you need to act quickly before your legal protections expire.
The GOAT Academy "Refund Guarantee" Trap
Personally, I advise caution when relying on a Felix Prehn refund guarantee. Based on student feedback, it appears this "guarantee" may be marketed to give customers a false sense of security.
In my opinion, the effect of this guarantee, intended or not, can be to keep customers waiting until their card-dispute window has closed. Dispute deadlines are limited: the Fair Credit Billing Act's window for billing errors is 60 days from the statement that first shows the charge, and card issuers set their own deadlines for other disputes. If you wait months on a refund promise, you can lose your strongest option.
If a refund you were "guaranteed" isn't honored, don't wait: contact your card issuer and file a chargeback before your dispute deadline passes.
Why Whop and GOAT Academy Are Difficult for Refunds
Many of these transactions are processed through Whop, a marketplace and payment platform used by many high-risk trading educators and course sellers (some of whom have been kicked off traditional payment processors like Stripe). In the complaints and emails I've received, Whop disputes have often gone the seller's way.
If you are an unhappy Felix Prehn / GOAT Academy customer, relying on Whop’s internal support is a high-risk strategy. The most effective course of action is to:
- Email Prehn / GOAT Academy requesting an immediate refund.
- Give them a short written deadline (for example, 5 business days).
- If the refund isn't processed by then, contact your card issuer and file a chargeback before your dispute deadline passes.
Case Study: A Student Says He Lost $10,000 at GOAT Academy
The screenshots below show a comment posted on my YouTube channel by a viewer using the handle @GaryKjellgren, who says he was a GOAT Academy student. This is his account, not a verified finding.
What the comment says:
- Cost: he says he paid $10,000 for a membership.
- Extra purchases: he says that after paying, he was told he needed to buy the TradeVision tool and other software to follow the course.
- Refund refused: he says his refund request inside the 90-day window was rejected because he had not completed the whole course. In my opinion, a completion requirement like this can push buyers past their card-dispute window.
- Impractical Coaching: The student noted that coaches were in time zones that made live sessions practically impossible to attend for those in regions like Perth, West Australia.
How to Protect Yourself
If you feel you have been misled by Felix Prehn’s marketing or the TradeVision tool’s efficacy, do not wait.
- File an FTC Complaint: You can report Whop and GOAT Academy to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to flag their refund practices.
- Contact Your Card Issuer: describe exactly what happened: what was promised, what you received, when you asked for a refund, and every delay. Do it before your dispute deadline (usually within 60 days).
- Legal Options: the commenter above says he is considering a class action. If you're weighing legal action, talk to a consumer-protection attorney in your state or country.
If you landed here looking for a legitimate alternative, here's the verified, hedged options strategy I actually trade — but first, here's exactly why Felix doesn't hold up.
3) About That Trustpilot Rating (4.6 Stars as of August 2026)
GOAT Academy holds a rating of roughly 4.6 stars across more than 600 Trustpilot reviews. Taken at face value that is a strong score, and it is the first thing a prospective buyer sees.
Trustpilot publishes a transparency page for every business showing how often that business has flagged reviews. GOAT Academy’s page, retrieved 16 August 2026, showed 18 reviews flagged, 19 times. Of those 18 reviews, 15 were 1-star (83%), 2 were 3-star, 1 was 2-star, and none were 4-star or 5-star. Not one positive review was flagged.
Fourteen of the eighteen reviews were then removed. The reason recorded for all fourteen removals is the same: the reviewer did not respond to Trustpilot. That is removal by default, not Trustpilot deciding the review was false. Three reviews were found not in breach, and Trustpilot records 16% of the flagging cases as invalid.
Flagging is a normal tool. The story in the data is the distribution: it was used against negative reviews, and most of those reviews came down because the author did not reply to an email. A 4.6-star average is a measure of the reviews that remain.
I am not saying Trustpilot found GOAT Academy broke its rules. The transparency page does not say that.
The same theme shows up in a Consumer Review Fairness Act complaint filed with the FTC against Warrior Trading, where a customer said a negative Trustpilot review was removed and the account closed under a terms clause banning derogatory comments. Two different educators, the same pressure on negative reviews, both in public records.
Felix Prehn / GOAT Academy seems to flag a large number of 1-star reviews (possibly in an attempt to get them removed), as evidenced here: Felix Prehn GOAT Academy Trustpilot Transparency Report (and screenshot below):
4) Course Materials are Poorly Organized and Available for Free Elsewhere
Members have stated that the course materials are poorly organized and repetitive. Nothing new is taught in the course that you couldn't learn for free elsewhere.
Additionally, in my analysis (video above), the example trades in GOAT Academy's material have a negative expected value, meaning each trade is expected to lose money on average.
5) Felix Prehn uses manipulative marketing tactics
Boasting about his lifestyle, using animals to build trust with his audience and offering, in my opinion, a misleading and potentially fraudulent money-back guarantee and return policy that he doesn't seem to honor are all examples of tactics that Felix uses to manipulate his audience.
If you were denied a refund you believe you were owed, you can dispute the charge with your card issuer, report it to the FTC, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and file a complaint with your local government and law enforcement.
When you file a complaint, include evidence: receipts, emails, screenshots and dates.
There are claims that Felix Prehn and GOAT Academy charges people different amounts based upon their account size.
See below:
Also, some members who take the course are disappointed, denied refunds and then forced to contact their credit card companies to issue a chargeback.
See below:
6) Felix Prehn fails to understand basic trading principles
Felix makes numerous mistakes that even beginner traders would not make (such as calculating his expected profit using the maximum loss number, instead of the premium collected).
I do not believe that Felix actually trades, instead I believe he only engages in hypothetical trading. I have never seen him share verified trading statements.
7) Felix Prehn Reuses / Recycles Other Creators' Content (in my opinion)
In my opinion, as shown here, Felix reuses other creators' content and presents it as his own.
8) The Strategy Flaw: “Risk Reversals” vs. The Financed Bull
Felix Prehn typically teaches a variation of the “Risk Reversal” strategy (Selling a Put to buy a Call) or the “Wheel Strategy.” While these are standard textbook strategies, the way GOAT Academy teaches them often exposes traders to unnecessary risk.
Where Felix’s Strategy Fails:
- Buying Breakouts With Unhedged Calls: Felix often suggests selling a put to finance an outright long call. The problem? A long call loses value to time decay (theta). If the stock doesn't move fast enough, the call can expire worthless, and you took on downside risk for nothing.
- Lack of Risk Definition: His material often glosses over the “VIX Filter.” In my opinion, selling puts when volatility (VIX) is low means collecting less premium for the same downside risk.
9) Felix Prehn / GOAT Academy has been observed filing invalid DMCA / copyright claims
GOAT Academy has been observed filing DMCA/copyright claims to scrub negative reviews from the internet - including targeting this review and my videos of him.
Felix Prehn oftentimes employs black hat methods and threats:
I'm currently in litigation with YouTube, in California Appellate case number Court of Appeal No. H054138 in the CALIFORNIA SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT to decide whether YouTube will enforce its own promise when dealing with those who abuse the DMCA takedown process.
Felix Prehn Net Worth: Trading Profits or Marketing Funnels?
What is Felix Prehn's net worth? In my opinion, it's roughly $6 million USD. That's my estimate, not a verified figure (his finances aren't public), and in my view the vast majority of it comes from selling high-priced courses, mentorships and memberships, not from market outperformance.
While Felix claims to have built his wealth as a high-level investment banker, he frequently makes statements about the banking industry that contradict standard Wall Street practices. In our opinion, it is highly unlikely that he worked as, or generated his wealth as, an institutional investment banker.
Ultimately, we believe that virtually all of Felix Prehn's wealth and net worth is tied to his highly optimized sales funnels and his ability to convince beginners to pay for his trading memberships, rather than a verified, profitable trading track record.
A Better Way: The “Financed Bull” Strategy
You don’t need to pay $4,000+ for basic trading theory that loses money.
At BestStockStrategy, we use a specific variation called the “Financed Bull”. Instead of buying an outright call (like Felix), we buy a call debit spread.
- Cheaper & Safer: A Call Debit Spread cancels out much of the Theta Decay.
- Financed Cost: We sell a naked put only on large-cap market leaders (like AMZN or GOOGL) at a strike price where we actually want to own the stock.
- The Result: We finance the Call Debit Spread with the Put premium. This allows us to enter the trade for Zero Cost or a Net Credit.
By using a spread instead of a single call, we drastically increase our probability of profit, rather than gambling on a directional breakout.
If you'd rather follow a disciplined, defined-risk approach than chase big moves, here's my honest take on the straddle option strategy — and why I sell premium instead of buying it.
A Rules-Based Alternative
Don’t let a “guru” burn your account. Learn the strategy that prioritizes capital preservation and defined risk. Get the "Financed Bull" Strategy (14-Day Trial)
Conclusion: Felix Prehn and Goat Academy Review
In my opinion, Felix Prehn from Goat Academy is a scam and he is one of the most dangerous predators I've ever reviewed.
Yes, I know that sounds hyperbolic, but the only person who is worse would be Corey Benoit from Invest with Corey.
In my opinion, Felix's business is built to extract as much money as possible from beginners.
Goat Academy members who are not satisfied should request a refund in writing and set a short, clear deadline for a response, and then file a chargeback with their credit card company (usually within 30 - 60 days of purchase date).
If they fail to refund you, then members should consider filing a chargeback with their credit card company and also filing a complaint with their local law enforcement agency and / or Government Agency that investigates scams and fraud.
Alternatives to Felix Prehn (2026)
If you've read this far, you're probably looking for something better than the GOAT Academy / Felix & Friends funnel. Here are the alternatives I'd point you toward.
1. A teacher who shows their trading statements. Felix's returns are unverified, so start by demanding proof from anyone you pay. I sell option premium with debit-spread hedging (Financed Bull) and I publish my results: +128.64% and +92.69% from May 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026, verified here.
2. Free education before any paid program. In my opinion, the stock-market basics taught inside most paid academies are widely available for free. My options trading strategies guide is a free starting point, and my free training goes deeper without costing you anything.
3. The statements test. Before paying any educator, demand real brokerage statements or third-party-verifiable results — in my experience, almost none in this industry can produce them. Mine are published at the link above.
Whatever you choose, apply one filter: real, verifiable results — or walk away.
Looking for a Legitimate Options Trading Education?
If you're researching trading educators because you've been burned (or want to avoid being burned), here's what actually works.
I'm a former Wall Street investment banker — interned at Morgan Stanley, then worked at CIBC World Markets and Petsky Prunier. My two real E*TRADE accounts returned +128.64% and +92.69% from May 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026, documented with statements on my verified results page.
The strategy that actually works isn't day trading penny stocks, buying expensive courses from people without verified records, or following unverified trading "gurus." It's selling option premium with debit-spread hedging (Financed Bull) on high-quality stocks.
Read my guide to Selling Options Premium: The Complete Guide — or join the 127+ five-star reviewers who follow my real-time trade alerts.
Consumer Resources & Protection
If you feel you have been misled by Felix Prehn, GOAT Academy, or any other high-priced trading course, you have the right to report deceptive marketing practices or unhonored refund policies.
We recommend contacting the following government and regulatory agencies to file a consumer complaint:
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Report Fraud & Deceptive Advertising
- Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC):Submit an Investment Fraud Tip
- Find Your State Attorney General: USA.gov Consumer Protection
- Consumer.gov:
https://www.consumer.gov/ - Better Business Bureau (BBB):
https://www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint
Note: Because Felix Prehn operates internationally, US-based agencies often coordinate with international financial regulators to investigate claims of deceptive practices that target American citizens.
If you want to see how a "guru" can run a legitimate-looking business while still never verifying a single trade, read my breakdown of whether Umar Ashraf is legit.
For another options educator whose students report denied refunds and disputed charges, read my Invest with Henry review.
Related Reading:
Guide to Selling Option Premium
How James Cordier & OptionSellers lost $150MM
How Much Money Do You Need to Sell Options
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Felix Prehn and GOAT Academy Reviews
Is Felix Prehn a fraud and scam artist?
In my opinion, GOAT Academy's marketing is misleading and the program isn't worth the money, for the reasons in this review: the unverified banker story, the refund conditions students report, and the strategy math. That is my opinion based on the evidence above, not a court finding.
What is Felix Prehn’s net worth?
My estimate, which is an opinion and not a verified figure, is about $6 million USD. In my view almost all of it comes from selling courses, mentorship programs and memberships rather than from trading.
Felix Prehn real name: What is Felix Prehn's real name?
His full name is Felix Nikolas Prehn; his own website and LinkedIn use that name. Before the trading brand, he went by Nikolas (Niko) Prehn, including on his former artist website. I found no record that verifies he worked as an institutional investment banker; the sources I found point to art and his family's wine business (Viña Maria).
Are GOAT Academy memberships worth it?
In my opinion, joining GOAT Academy would be an enormous mistake. I believe that almost all of Felix’s members will lose money, and reviews highlight a pattern of frustration regarding upsell tactics and denied refunds. We highly recommend learning options trading elsewhere.
How much does GOAT Academy cost?
GOAT Academy doesn't publish one fixed price for its top programs. Reports I've seen range from about $4,000 to $10,000 for mentorship-level memberships, and some customers report being quoted different prices based on their account size. Get the price, the refund conditions and every add-on (such as TradeVision) in writing before you pay.
Is Felix Prehn married?
Yes. A published article about his wedding described Felix (Nikolas) Prehn as a wine importer, not a banker. He is married to Kelly Prehn.
What is Felix & Friends?
Felix & Friends is the newer brand Felix Prehn markets under. It is tied to the same GOAT Academy business, so the concerns in this review apply to both.
Does GOAT Academy give refunds?
GOAT Academy markets a money-back guarantee, but reports I've received say it requires completing the course, and in some versions a year of trades and a trade journal. One student says his refund request inside the 90-day window was rejected because he had not finished the course. Get the exact conditions in writing before you buy.
What is TradeVision?
TradeVision is a software tool promoted alongside GOAT Academy. One student says he was told he needed to buy it, and other software, after paying $10,000 for his membership.
Where is Felix Prehn from?
His former artist website described Nikolas Prehn as a German artist, and UK Companies House lists his company appointments there.
Was Felix Prehn an investment banker?
He says he was. I worked in investment banking myself (CIBC World Markets and Petsky Prunier), and I found no public record, such as an employer, title or dates, that verifies his banking career. The sources I did find describe him as an artist and a wine importer.
How did Felix Prehn make his money?
In my opinion, mainly from selling trading education: GOAT Academy courses, mentorships and memberships, now under the Felix & Friends brand. He has not published brokerage statements, so I can't verify any trading profits.
Disclosure: I sell options education and trade alerts and compete in this market. This review distinguishes my observations, public records, customer reports, and opinion. Customer complaints are not, by themselves, findings of wrongdoing.