Adam Khoo vs. Chris Terry: Are Wealth Academy and IM Academy Two Sides of the Same Coin?

Adam Khoo and Chris Terry are two of the most recognised names in online trading education. Adam Khoo through his Singapore-based Wealth Academy, and Chris Terry via the now-rebranded IM Mastery Academy (now IYOVIA). On the surface, they could not be more different. Adam Khoo, from a privileged background tied to the Khoo Teck Puat banking family, markets himself as a disciplined investor and educator. Chris Terry, from the Bronx, built his fortune as a forex trader and created a global following with high-energy motivation and MLM tactics. But dig deeper, and the parallels become hard to ignore.

Both men promote the dream of financial freedom through self-development and online trading. They sell systems and mindsets as the keys to success which is often framed with luxury visuals and personal transformation stories. And both platforms monetise that dream aggressively: IM Academy (IYOVIA) via multi-level marketing and subscription commissions; Wealth Academy through expensive courses and upsells.

Critics argue that both use hype and selective success stories to build trust. Adam Khoo’s Wealth Academy promotes fast-track trading mastery, but many retail investors will find such strategies hard to replicate. Chris Terry’s IM Academy faced a more serious backlash. The U.S. FTC sued Chris Terry and IM Academy in 2025, alleging it was a deceptive pyramid scheme. While Adam Khoo has not faced such legal actions, his marketing style mirrors the same aspirational blueprint albeit with a more polished tone.

In both ecosystems, the founder becomes the brand. Adam Khoo’s seminars and YouTube presence are central to his authority while Chris Terry’s charisma and team-building drive IYOVIA’s culture. Followers don’t just buy education, they buy into a movement.

So, is Adam Khoo just a cleaner, more compliant version of Chris Terry? The styles differ. The platforms look distinct. But the foundation, i.e. mindset, marketing, and monetizing aspiration, is strikingly familiar.

For anyone researching Adam Khoo, Wealth Academy, Chris Terry, or IM Mastery Academy, it is worth looking past the branding and asking: what am I really buying into?