ARE TIME TRAVELERS REAL?

In December of 2002, a man named Andrew Carlson, who had no prior experience in the U.S. stock market and was 44 years old at the time, invested $800. Remarkably, within a span of two weeks, he engaged in 126 trades in the highly volatile commercial markets, ultimately turning his initial investment into a staggering $350 million.

As Andrew continued to make only profitable trades without a single misstep, suspicion grew among other investors. It became evident that this was more than just beginner's luck. The market conditions were described as turbulent, making Andrew's earnings seem both implausible and suspicious.

Both the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission launched investigations, suspecting illegal insider trading. On January 28, 2003, just a month after he began investing, Andrew was brought in for questioning. Throughout the four-hour interrogation, he remained remarkably composed. Authorities were unable to ascertain how he obtained the privileged information that enabled him to make such lucrative investments.

In an unwavering account, Andrew asserted that his ability to make precise trades and investments stemmed from his status as a time traveler from the year 2256, a future 254 years ahead of the present. He claimed knowledge of which stocks would rise during this era, citing mergers and technological advancements as contributing factors. This level of insight was far too precise to be attributed to chance alone. Andrew admitted that he initially intended to make his investments appear more natural and spread them out over time, incurring losses along the way. However, he became swept up in the moment and achieved extraordinary profits within a mere two weeks, all without a single loss.

Andrew described traveling through time in a device he referred to as a "time craft." He was hesitant to divulge further details about its appearance, operation, or current location, fearing it might fall into the wrong hands or be replicated. Authorities were left with the impression that he was either suffering from a mental disorder or was an accomplished fabricator.

In the subsequent month, on February 25, 2003, Andrew was arrested on charges of insider trading. Before his trial, he attempted to negotiate with authorities, claiming he possessed information of great benefit to them. His numerous predictions made while in custody ultimately proved accurate. Among them were revelations about future medical breakthroughs, including a cure for AIDS. At the time, AIDS was a devastating global epidemic, with millions affected and millions more succumbing to the disease. While there is still no outright cure, there exist treatments to manage HIV and halt its progression.

Additionally, Andrew foresaw the 2008 stock market crash, which indeed transpired. On September 29, 2008, the Dow Jones suffered its most significant single-day decline in history up to that point. He also accurately predicted the U.S. invasion of Iraq on March 19 of the same year and provided details about the outcome of the war. Moreover, he claimed to know the exact whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks. Bin Laden would not be eliminated until eight years later, in 2011.

Andrew spent two months incarcerated while awaiting trial. An anonymous benefactor posted his one million dollar bail, securing his release. He was scheduled to meet with his attorney on April 2, 2003, but failed to appear. Instead, he vanished without a trace, never to be seen again.

In 2003, tabloids thrived on sensational stories, often lacking factual basis, serving primarily as entertainment. The Weekly World News, a tabloid in operation from 1979 to 2007, prominently featured an article on Andrew, claiming to have had direct contact with him. According to the writer, Andrew was in Canada working on a new project. He was quoted as saying, "time is everything and everything happens as per the time. I am nowhere. so, this is my time".

Once the story was picked up by other news outlets, including Yahoo, the source from the tabloid was often overlooked. The enigma surrounding Andrew Carlson persisted, as no records of anyone matching his description were found to have existed prior to December 2002, with no birth certificate, driver's license, or other identifying documents in his name.