Alex Rodriguez Reveals How His Mother’s Struggle to Pay Rent Became a Catalyst for His Tremendous Business Growth

“Mom, you no longer have to work anymore” – said Alex Rodriguez to his mother in 1993 when he signed his first contract with the Seattle Mariners. After inking a three-year $1.3 million contract along with a $1 million signing bonus, A-Rod bought a house and a car for his mom – who was juggling between two jobs to make ends meet. Ever since then, the former baseball shortstop has been unstoppable, as he always “wanted a better life” for himself and his family. Hence, after building an iconic career in baseball, he ventured into the world of business and made sure to reach the pinnacle.

Now a successful business magnate and an entrepreneur, Alex Rodriguez credits the major chunk of his success to his mom Lourdes Rodriguez. At every opportunity he gets, he never shies away from sharing his gratitude for his mother. Along similar lines, on December 30th, in a Bilt Rewards Q&A session, the 49-year-old took a moment to share an anecdote from his childhood, and how his mother’s struggles paved a way to A-Rod’s colossal business growth.

In the ‘Rent Free’ game show segment, A-Rod helped top-10 Bilt members to win free rent. Interestingly, while kicking off the segment, Bilt CEO Ankur Jain opened the floor for Rodriguez to share his perspective on getting “some people’s rent paid.” To this, the three-time American League MVP winner stated, “I grew up 20 minutes due west from here and my mom was a single mom. I remember we used to move every 18 months because the landlord kept raising the rent.”

However, when he was a youngster who had to switch places every 18 months, he aspired to give his family better conditions and livelihood. The 49-year-old continued, “I remember as a young kid praying I said boy, my mom feels so much pressure. I wish one day I can trade places with the landlord and become the landlord and that’s exactly what I did.” And now, the baseball icon is helping people win the chances of getting their rent paid by collaborating with Bilt Rewards – the first loyalty program that rewards members on rent and in their neighborhood, no matter where they live.

Nevertheless, while A-Rod built a successful venture for himself, things were not always easy for him. He had to navigate through some rough waters to get across the other end and build a good fortune galore. And while the baseball prodigy created a stellar metier, his mom was his constant supporter throughout.

For Alex Rodriguez, his mom is the Real MVP

Secretary in the day and serving tables at night, was how Lourdes Rodriguez making the ends meet. However, even though the situation was difficult, she never lost her optimism. Rather, she inspired her son to dream big. In 2022, in the Trading Secrets podcast, the former baseball shortstop narrated a similar incident. He talked about how his mother taught him to be hopeful even in the worst case scenario.

As per A-Rod, in 1993, Lourdes Rodriguez was making something around 20-25 grand a year. However, she wanted to send her son to the University of Miami and to train there for quarterback and shortstop. Back then, the admit fee was somewhere around $1.5 million. When Alex countered this by saying “We’re broke” while counting his mom’s tip money, his mother conceded, “Nope! It’s $1.5 million or nothing.” Later, in the same year, Rodriguez signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the University of Miami and was also recruited by Miami to play quarterback for its football team. Though he turned down the offer (as he signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners), his mom did manifest a successful career for him.

Interestingly, not only did he shine on the baseball diamond, but Alex Rodriguez also made a name for himself as an entrepreneur. He is the CEO of A-Rod Corp, a broad-based investment firm he founded. He’s also a CEO of Slam Corp, a SPAC focused in consumer tech, media, entertainment, health and wellness. He also owns basketball teams Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx. Interestingly, A-Rod is a strategic advisor to the Professional Fighters League, chairman of Presidente beer, an Emmy-winning baseball analyst for Fox Sports and ESPN.

A-Rod has marshalled his impressive work ethic to transition from his humble beginnings as the child to great success. And all of this, he owes to the hard-work and dedication of his mother. In 2021, in a heartfelt mother’s day post, A-Rod penned a beautiful encomium for his mom – a part of which says, “Without you, I wouldn’t have the life I do.” For Alex Rodriguez, his mother is the Real MVP, indeed!