Retired Carolina Panthers player Russell Okung would be sitting on more than $20.9 million if he had the 240 bitcoins purchased in exchange for half of his 2020 salary. if so.
The odds are pretty set: In May 2021, when Bitcoin's price was plummeting, Okung tweeted at the time, “I don't get it.” I will not sell my bitcoins.
Since then, he has not publicly announced any changes to his Bitcoin investment strategy. At this point Decrypt reached Okung.
In the year In December 2020, Okung made headlines when he announced that he would take half of his $13 million salary in bitcoins worth $6.5 million.
“Money is more than currency; it's power,” Okung told CNBC at the time. “The way money is handled from creation to circulation is part of that power. Being paid in bitcoin is the first step out of the corrupt, captive economy we all live in.”
At the time, Bitcoin was worth about $27,000. Fast forward four years and the cryptocurrency is at $87,803 at the end of Monday, an increase of 220%, Okung is placing a bet on Bitcoin 21 million dollars.
In the year The Bitcoin enthusiast defended the cryptocurrency when Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that his company would no longer accept Bitcoin payments in 2021, citing environmental concerns over energy consumption.
In response to Musk's announcement, Okung launched the “Stick to Space, Elon” campaign.
“Bitcoin is humanity's best shot at freedom,” Okung told Decrypt at the time. “The public narrative needs correction as Elon misunderstands its true benefits to our species.”
He continued: “In the grand scheme of things, no individual is a threat to Bitcoin. In Elon's words, it's inevitable. The effect on Bitcoin is temporary.
Okung retired from football in June 2023. If he still holds Bitcoin, he may go down in history as the GOAT – among former athlete investors.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair.
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