The Billionaire Playbook: How Athletes are Winning Big Off the Field.

In the contemporary landscape, achieving billionaire status no longer necessitates to be a GOAT. As the NFL Scouting Combine kicks off in Indianapolis and NCAA's March Madness looms, avenues for athletes to amass vast wealth have proliferated like never before.

One lucrative avenue is team ownership, exemplified by athletes like Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns, who holds a stake in the Cavaliers, or Giannis Antetokounmpo, who shares ownership in the Milwaukee Brewers. Even retired icons like Marshawn Lynch are capitalizing on rising team values, investing in ventures like the Kraken. Last year saw record-breaking transaction values in sports mergers and acquisitions, soaring to nearly $25 billion.

Moreover, athletes are increasingly venturing into the realm of venture capital. The recent $20 million funding round for virtual reality gaming startup StatusPro witnessed an influx of athlete investors, including LeBron James and NFL stars like Bobby Wagner and Cameron Jordan. Athletes are diversifying their portfolios, investing in sectors ranging from energy drinks to crypto, showcasing their financial acumen beyond the field or court.

Financial incentives for athletes have undergone a seismic shift over the years. Compared to Michael Jordan's modest earnings in his rookie year, recent draft picks like Chris Livingston are commanding substantial salaries, with lucrative contracts becoming the norm rather than the exception.

The trajectory towards billionaire status is becoming accelerated, particularly for young talents like Victor Wembanyama and Shohei Ohtani, who are poised to amass staggering wealth through their respective sports contracts. While seasoned veterans like Jordan and Roger Federer have already achieved billionaire status through astute investments and business ventures, today's athletes are embarking on this path at a much earlier stage in their careers.

The landscape has evolved further with the NCAA's decision to permit student-athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness, enabling even young talents to capitalize on their athletic prowess. The story of Ghalee Wadood, a 9-year-old who secured a six-figure deal in Snoop Dogg's youth football league, epitomizes this trend, signaling a new era where the journey to billionaire status starts earlier than ever before.