Russell Okung bet on Bitcoin four years ago when he was a member of the Carolina Panthers.
It started off rocky, but the never folded. That decision is now paying off handsomely.
Per Amit Kumar Jha of Essentially Sports, the former offensive tackle turned his $6.5 million salary in 2020 into $20 million this week by being paid in cryptocurrency.
In 2020, Russell Okung’s salary was $13 million, half of which he requested to be paid in Bitcoin.
After he went viral this week, Okung finally broke his silence and spoke to the naysayers who thought he was crazy and others who advised him not to do this.
“Normal is a trap. I dumped all our bonds because I believed. financial advisors questioned me,” Okung stated on X.
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William Foxley of CoinDesk.com noted that in December 2020, the Panthers partnered with Bitcoin platform Zap to split Okung’s salary for that season. His paychecks were then converted into Bitcoin, which was sent to a storage wallet that would belong to him.
Now, his earnings have increased due to his decision.
It’s not like he was hurting for cash to begin with, as Okung earned $108.9 million in contracts during his NFL career.
Also Read: Russell Okung’s Salary Has Grown Substantially Since Accepting His Salary In Bitcoin
Russell Okung Was Forced To Retire From The League After Not Getting Contract He Liked
Russell Okung was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and won a Super Bowl as a member of the 2013 Seahawks team.
The 36-year-old Okung was a first-round draft pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2010 and started 131 games in 11 seasons with four different teams. The 2020 season was his final year in the NFL.
He could’ve played more years, but he officially closed the book on his NFL career in 2023 even though he hadn’t played since 2020.
Okung was dissatisfied with the offers he received on the open market in 2021, and he sat out two seasons.
In the end, the bet he made on himself with Bitcoin more than made up for any money he may have lost by not playing.
