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When people see my portfolio today, worth over 4.4 million NOK (~€385,000) and paying me dividends every single month, they often think it was always like this. The truth is very different.
I grew up in a humble home where money was always scarce. As a teenager, I sometimes had to fish with my mother just so we had food on the table. Later, as an adult, both my wife and I worked in lower-paying jobs, and the idea of financial freedom felt like something reserved for others. At one point, I was even receiving Christmas cards from debt collectors — that was how far away investing seemed.
In April 2020, I decided to change my story. I started small, with about 30,000 NOK (~€2,600) in savings. But the first year wasn’t smooth. I was lost, trying to find my way in the market. I didn’t have a clear strategy, and I experimented. By a stroke of luck, a few short-term investments worked out and suddenly gave me more cash than I had ever imagined having in my account.
That moment gave me the courage to take a bold step. In 2021, I went all in on MPC Container Ships (MPCC) because I saw the massive dividend potential. Over time, my total investment in MPCC reached about 750,000 NOK (~€65,000). Since then, it has returned close to 1.3 million NOK (~€113,000) in dividends — and I still own the shares.
As my wife and I realized this was the smart move, we made a decision: for the next two years, we would dedicate ourselves fully to the goal. We worked as much as possible, sacrificed every small luxury, and poured everything into growing the portfolio. The key was to reshape our minds to think like investors. That transformation started at home. We took control of our expenses, and most importantly, we began paying ourselves first.
Many people get this wrong — they wait to see what’s left after bills and then try to invest. We flipped the script. We made investing the first bill we paid every month. It wasn’t optional, it was the priority. That discipline changed everything.
MPCC became the engine of my dividend strategy. But once those dividends started rolling in, I knew the next step was crucial: derisking. I used the MPCC cash flow to buy into other strong companies, gradually spreading risk while keeping the compounding machine running. That decision gave me more stability and peace of mind — because no journey should depend on a single ship.
The real breakthrough moment came when I received my first big dividend payment: 476,078 NOK (~€42,000). It wasn’t just money; it was proof. Proof that patience and discipline pay off, and that financial freedom could be built step by step. That emotional moment changed my mindset forever. I was no longer just working for money — money had started working for me.
Since 2022 until today, my portfolio has paid me a total of 2,370,426 NOK (~€207,000) in dividends. These are not just numbers — they represent financial security, choices, and freedom that I once thought were impossible.
Another part of this journey has been about giving the next generation what I never had. That’s why we started “Pengeprinsessen” (The Dividend Princess), a dividend portfolio for my daughter. Since we began, we’ve never looked back. Today, at just 16 years old, her portfolio is already worth more than mine was when I turned 40. For me, that is one of the greatest measures of success: building a foundation for her future that I never had growing up.
The name Utbyttereisen itself means “The Dividend Journey” in Norwegian. It reflects not only my own path from hardship to financial freedom, but also the journey of thousands of ordinary people who are now walking this road with me.
Since then, the story of Utbyttereisen has grown far beyond myself. I’ve shared my journey openly, because I believe dividend investing should not be reserved for experts in suits. It should be accessible to ordinary people, like me and you. That’s why I often say: “Ex-day is my birthday.” Every ex-dividend day is a small celebration, a reminder that freedom is paid quarterly.
Today, thousands follow my journey through YouTube, Substack, and social media. Together, we’ve built a community of over 35,000 Norwegians who share the same dream: to let dividends create stability, freedom, and hope for the future.
If there’s one lesson I want to pass on, it’s this: you don’t need to start big — you just need to start. Even with humble beginnings, patience, and consistency, you can build a portfolio that pays you not only dividends in money, but also dividends in freedom, time, and peace of mind.
Because financial freedom is not a far-off dream. It’s a plan. And plans can be followed.
My journey became Utbyttereisen — The Dividend Journey. But your journey can start today.
