Odell Beckham Jr. Financial Difficulties: He Thinks You Don’t Understand How Hard It Is to Manage $100 Million
If you were worried about how wide receivers are handling the crushing weight of generational wealth, you can finally exhale. Odell Beckham Jr. has bravely stepped forward to shine a light on the dark, terrifying reality of signing a nine-figure contract in the NFL.
In a recent appearance on “The Pivot” podcast, the former superstar receiver decided to break down the “struggles” of managing a $100 million deal. And honestly? It went about as well as you’d expect.
Listening to Odell break down his finances is a bit like watching someone complain that their diamond shoes are too tight. It’s not that the shoes don’t pinch—it’s just really hard for anyone standing in regular sneakers to care.
The Fuzzy Math Behind The Millions
Here is the premise of the grievance: Odell wants you to know that $100 million isn’t actually $100 million. He’s right, of course. Taxes exist. Agents take their cut. But the way he frames this financial tragedy is where he loses the room.
“You give somebody a 5-year, $100 million contract. It’s 5 years for 60. We’re getting taxed: That’s 12 a year,” Beckham explained. He continued, digging the hole a little deeper:”That’s 12 a year that you have to spend, use, save, invest, flaunt… just being real. I’m going to buy a car, I’m going to give my mom a house. Everything costs money.”
Let’s pause there. We are talking about a net income of roughly $12 million annually. For most human beings on this planet, that is not a salary; that is the GDP of a small island nation. But for Odell Beckham, he argues that if you spend $4 million a year, you’re left with only so much, and suddenly you have to ask yourself: “Can you make that last forever?”
The short answer is: Yes. Yes, you can. If you can’t make $60 million post-tax dollars last a lifetime, the problem isn’t the tax rate. The problem is you.
The Problem Isn’t The Income Odell, It’s The ‘flaunt’
The most telling part of the entire interview wasn’t the bad math or the complaints about Uncle Sam. It was one specific word sandwiched in his list of obligations: “Flaunt.” He listed it right alongside “save” and “invest” as if it were a mandatory utility bill. In the world of Odell, “flaunting” isn’t a choice; it’s a line item in the budget. It’s a necessity.
This is where the “we weren’t taught financial literacy” argument falls flat. You don’t need an MBA to know that buying a fleet of luxury cars or dropping the equivalent of a mortgage on jewelry is a bad investment. That’s not a lack of education; that is a surplus of ego. Maintaining an image of extreme wealth is the quickest way to actually go broke.
It is genuinely difficult to find the emotional bandwidth to feel bad for a guy who has earned over $100 million in NFL contracts alone—not counting endorsements. To be honest, the guy doesn’t deserve sympathy because he is another piece of work with his off-the-field shenanigans. I lost all respect for the guy after the plane fiasco that happened in 2022.
What comes next for the aging superstar
As Odell enters the twilight of his career, bouncing from the Rams to the Ravens and eventually the Dolphins, the paychecks aren’t what they used to be. The massive multi-year deals are likely in the rearview mirror.
Hopefully, someone in his camp can sit him down and explain that he doesn’t actually need to “flaunt” to be happy. It’s a tough world out there and the lesson is its not what you make its what you save.
