Paid In Bitcoin Makes Russell Okung Highest Paid NFL Star
Carolina Panthers star Russell Okung is the highest paid star in NFL since the Offensive Tackle (OT) being paid half his salary in Bitcoin (BTC).
Okung has been earning half his $13 million salary in Bitcoin since December 2020, after a long fight to be paid in Bitcoin.
Bitcoin Price Has More Than Doubled Since December
And with the Bitcoin price more than doubling since then, it’s become apparent that the NFL star is now earning more than double the dollar salary paid to him.
Of course, the dollars he’s earning is buying less Bitcoin than it was in December, but the Bitcoin he has already earned has made him the highest paid player in that time.
When Bitcoin hit $56k Russel Okung’s salary that had already been paid in Bitcoin was then worth more than his whole salary for the time period, putting him in the top five paid NFL stars.
However, with the NFL recently capping league salaries at $180 million, it’s likely the highest paid players will earn less, which technically makes Okung the highest paid star in NFL.
NFL Star Demands To Be Paid In Bitcoin
Offensive Tackle Russell Okung’s attempts to earn his salary paid in Bitcoin went on for two seasons. The NFL star tried to get his former team Los Angeles Chargers to pay him in Bitcoin. His campaign was first known after he tweeted in May 2019 ‘Pay me in Bitcoin’.
Russell Okung regularly tweeted his demands and his anger at the corruption of the monetary system, which the NFL star believes is manipulated to control society.
Okung’s vision finally become a reality late last year after his new club Carolina Panthers agreed to work with Jack Mallers and Strike payments who will convert half his salary into Bitcoin.
After the announcement the Offensive Tackle took to Bitcoin Twitter again, this time tweeting: ‘Paid in Bitcoin’.
And in the official statement a delighted Russell Okung said,
‘Money is more than currency; it’s power. The way money is handled from creation to dissemination is part of that power. Getting paid in Bitcoin is the 1st step of opting out of the corrupt, manipulated economy we all inhabit.’
Will Carolina Panthers Star Continue To Stack Sats?
Many question whether Okung will continue to earn his salary in Bitcoin even if the price rises much higher or during a long bear market like we suffered in 2018.
There’s no guarantee that we will go through another prolonged bear market, but even if we do, the NFL star is adamant that he will stack sats no matter if the Bitcoin price goes up or down.
‘I receive a ton of questions about my price entry point into the BTC,’ said Okung. ‘I stack sats, price goes up, I stack some more, price goes down and stack again. This isn’t financial advice.’
Russell Okung A Visionary
For two years Russell Okung demanded to be paid in Bitcoin, and the NFL and Carolina Panthers finally agreed his demands weren’t beyond the stringent rules.
A partnership with Jack Mallers Strike payments application meant the OT would become the first high profile sports star to be paid in Bitcoin, and it couldn’t have been better timing for Okung.
Since Russell Okung has been stacking sats with half his salary, the Bitcoin price has more than doubled, meaning the NFL star is the highest earner since.
At $13m, Russell Okung is still paid less dollars than the highest paid NFL stars. But no doubt Okung’s sage decision to keep half his salary in Bitcoin, will have triggered interest among the other football players.
The question is, will Tom Brady be paid in Bitcoin before he retires?
