“I never would’ve expected to decline a call from Tom Brady.” But that’s what Sina Nader, head of partnerships at FTX, had to do when “the most trusted” institution in the world of cryptocurrency declared bankruptcy in 2022. The thing is, Brady signed an endorsement agreement with FTX in 2021, who paid him $30 million to be their ambassador. Customers sued the seven-time Super Bowl champion after that collapse, and Brady could do nothing. Now, when Odell Beckham Jr invested his 2021 salary in the loosely regulated world of crypto, you can imagine the criticisms that followed.

The wide receiver may have spent just a brief stint with the Rams, but that tenure resulted in two things he’s sure to be very proud of – a Super Bowl ring and, now, his then-investment that’s still reaping benefits. As reported by FOX Sports, Beckham Jr earned $4.25 million in Los Angeles, $3 million of which came courtesy of the Super Bowl victory. Per Action Network, he converted $750,000 into Bitcoin on November 12, 2021. And at the time, that translated to only $401.500, considering Bitcoin was valued at $64,158. That was when things got worse.

Shortly after the market’s 2021 highs, cryptocurrency experienced a long “crypto winter,” which meant that his investment dropped significantly, and people began to criticize him as a result. But the tables have turned now, and Odell Beckham Jr probably has the US Presidential Elections to thank for that.

After having once called crypto “a scam,” President-elect Donald Trump seems to have changed his views on the matter, vowing to make the US “the crypto capital of the world.” He expressed this openness to cryptocurrency throughout his campaign, and within a week of his re-election, Bitcoin had risen around $30,000 – from $62,000 to above $92,000 per share, according to FOX. Odell Beckham Jr took that opportunity to hit back at his critics.

On November 13, sharing a picture of Bitcoin shares on his X account (depicting the ~$92,000 per share value), the Dolphins wide receiver wrote, “Soooo who said taking my Rams salary in Bitcoin was dumb again? 🤔🤫😌” When Bitcoin reached this value, Beckham Jr revealed that he made 41% profit on it. Seeing that as a perfect opportunity to promote his decision, the 32-year-old tweeted a couple of days later, “I’m still partnering with @CashApp to take my salary in bitcoin — u can get paid in Bitcoin, too.”

It’s evident that the wide receiver stuck to his decision to invest in crypto in 2021, and he’s convinced it’ll reap even better results now. In the past month, things have gotten even better for him. Bitcoin’s value increased yet again, now worth around $100,395 per share. Now, his 2021 salary is expected to be worth over $1,073,400. That’s a significant increase from the $750,000 principal amount. Sharing a picture of this on X, he added just a few emoticons: “🥱 😌 🚀”

Odell Beckham Jr’s partnership with Cash App started in August 2022, and in the commercial they released together, Odell Beckham Jr said, “As an athlete, it’s crucial to invest yourself both on and off the field, and I’m proud to partner with Cash App, which believes that everyone should be empowered to manage their money in a way that works best for them.

“Whether it’s my family, teammates, or tattoo artists, Cash App allows me to easily move assets between the people and experiences that matter most in my life, and everyone should feel that sense of ease when working with their money.” Coming back to his most recent update on Bitcoin, many followers began to praise the 32-year-old for his patience.

They called the wide receiver a “chill guy” who endured all the criticism while his investment went down. But he stuck to his guns and waited until cryptocurrency started getting back to its 2021 highs. As overjoyed as Odell Beckham Jr may be now, what’s more is that Bitcoin is expected to continue to increase for some time. So things could get even better for the Dolphins star!