Former Seahawks and Panthers OT Russell Okung held on for dear life, and it has worked out in his favor.
Okung shocked many in the sports world when he announced he would receive half his 2020 salary in Bitcoin. It was groundbreaking.
He requested that the Carolina Panthers pay 50% of his $13 million salary in Bitcoin. They accepted.
It certainly paid off today, as the amount he put in is now worth $20 million.
Russell Okung announced his retirement via his personal X account in June 2023. The veteran offensive lineman had not played in the NFL since 2020.
The Oklahoma State product was the sixth overall pick by Seattle in the 2010 Draft and a two-time Pro Bowler.
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The Oklahoma State product totaled over $190 million in career earnings.
Russell Okung Ran Into A Brick Wall With Bitcoin Back In 2021
Back in May 2021, things looked rather bleak for anyone with money in Bitcoin.
Russell Okung was one of them. He made waves when he asked for half of his $13 million salary to be converted into Bitcoin. It’s the first time a player has been paid in cryptocurrency.
In that month, Bitcoin plunged as low as $30,202 per coin from a high of nearly $44,000 in just 24 hours.
At the time, Russell Okung took to his X account and stated, “They laugh now but will cry later.”
Three years later and, he was correct.
Okung continued: “Y’all don’t get it. I am not selling my Bitcoin, ever.”
“Money is more than currency; it’s power,” said Okung in a statement. “The way money is handled from creation to dissemination is part of that power. Getting paid in bitcoin is the first step of opting out of the corrupt, manipulated economy we all inhabit.”
“When we are all paid in bitcoin, no one can tell us what to do with the value we create … In a post-fiat world, you won’t have to worry about your labor and time being stolen.”
Also Read: NFL Tackle Russell Okung, Who Got Paid In Bitcoin, Reacted To It Plunging Below $40,000 (TWEETS)
