10 Athletes Who Should Invest | Financial post

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In the year A Sports Illustrated article from 2009 once noted how 78 percent of former NFL players are bankrupt two years after retirement.

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However, these days, post-retirement athletes at the top of the financial ladder are a rare occurrence.

Not only are more athletes avoiding bankruptcy, sports are now everywhere filled with a generation looking to diversify their portfolios and copy the best tech startups.

Read on to find out what tech star athletes are investing their money into.

1. Carmelo Anthony

Like many athletes, 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony is well versed in tech investing.

It has invested in Lyft, mattress e-tailer Casper, and Hullabalu, which makes interactive storytelling apps for mobile devices. On June 22nd, Anthony took the stage at the tech conference Clash in Toronto to promote his new technology investment. Joined by Greg Cross, co-founder and CEO at Soul Machines, Anthony and Cross released a digital and self-animated version of NBA star Digital Melo after 12 months of work.

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Cross asks Digital Melo how they feel.

“I feel pretty naive, I’m happy to be here,” his digital avatar responded to the laughing audience.

Anthony assured the audience that Digital Melo was at the “very beginning” of this technology, which he called “the future.”

The idea is to help Carmelo use his digital twin or avatar to communicate with fans and expand his brand through sponsorships. For example, Digital Melo can play virtual games with his fans or appear at events that Anthony cannot.

2. Spencer Dinwiddie

“I’m a tech guy with a jumper.” This is how Spencer Dinwiddie of the Dallas Mavericks describes himself on his website.

Dinwiddie, along with other NBA players such as Andre Iguodala (Miami Heat) and Aaron Gordon (Orlando Magic), has invested about $12 million in Dapper Labs, the company that developed the new Flow blockchain.

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In the year In the summer of 2021, Dinwiddie raised $7.5 million in funding for Galaxy, a social token platform featuring celebrities such as actress and singer Teyana Taylor, NBA star Iman Shumpert and more.

3. Andre Iguodala

The Miami Heat star is synonymous with technology investments.

Last year, payments processing company Marketa made its market debut on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “MQ,” raising a $16 billion market cap on Wall Street. Miami Heat star Andre Iguodala helped Marketa raise money ahead of its mega IPO.

Iguodala has invested in several startups, including Zoom. Iguodala also launched the Players Technology Summit, which brings together athletes, investors and the tech world.

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After seeing interest from his fellow athletes, he proposed the meeting. The summits were so successful that they formed a partnership with Bloomberg, which he now offers.

4. Serena Williams

Last year, Bitcoin rewards company Lolly raised $5 million from high-profile investors, including tennis star Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohania.

The investment was made by Williams’ company Serena Ventures, which was launched in 2014 to support various leadership initiatives.

Other businesses include Williams on Maven — an online marketplace for hair extensions — and Propel, a Brooklyn startup that digitizes food stamps.

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5. Stephen Curry

Through his company SC30, the four-time NBA champion has invested in companies like SnapTravel. The company describes itself as a “travel agent” offering discounted travel rates to customers through one-on-one chats via messenger apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. Curry also invested in Tonal — an indoor exercise system — and Palm, a smaller, travel-friendly smartphone option.

6. Kelvin Beachcom Jr

Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum Jr. is another tech investor who once commented, “It’s time to close the digital divide.”

Beachum has invested in more than 20 startups during his NFL career. Along with athletes like Iguodala and celebrities like Justin Timberlake, he has invested in Step, a mobile banking service for teenagers.

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In the year At the end of 2020, Iguodala was part of a coalition that raised $50 million for the stage.

7. Michael Jordan

NBA legend Michael Jordan and billionaire Mark Cuban invested in Sportrader, a sports data company back in 2015. The two were part of a total of $44 million in funding for the company.

Five years later, the company’s value was $2.5 billion.

In the year In 2021, Sportradar launched its IPO at a valuation of $8 billion.

8. Russell Okung

Russell Okung of the Carolina Panthers. In late 2021, he became the first NFL player to be paid in Bitcoin.

His most notable investment is in Shyft, a platform that allows employees to share their shifts, message team members and manage schedules, all from their mobile devices.

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In the year In 2015, he invested in Matcherino, a Seattle-based startup that helps video game fans fund matches between their favorite players or get the chance to play with their favorite players.

9. Jonathan Taylor

NFL player Jonathan Taylor once admitted that football is “a very intense game.”

No wonder the Indianapolis Colts are back.

In the year Launched in 2016, Strive provides muscle data for athletes and teams by embedding it into compression garments to track activity. All of this is to help the players reach their peak performance and fully understand what is going on in their bodies.

10. LeBron James

NBA star LeBron James was among other big names to invest in StatusPRO, including Naomi Osaka and Drake.

StatusPRO is a sports technology and gaming company that combines player data and XR (augmented reality and virtual reality) to develop training and fan engagement products for organizations and consumers.

In the year It is part of a growing industry that is expected to reach $57 billion by 2027, the company said.

This article provides information only and should not be considered advice. PROVIDED WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND.