Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Thomas and Usain Bolt have something in common, and it is not about track and field. There’s no need to scratch your head. She herself expressed the matter while discussing something serious, as serious as Usain Bolt’s $12.8 million financial fraud case. The case, however, seems to give birth to fresh discussions again and again. Have you lost track of it, though? Let us update you about what happened last week. 

Last week, the fraud case created a lot of heated arguments in the Jamaican political sphere. Tom Tavares-Finson, the President of the Jamaican Senate, sharpened his attack against the former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and the then-ruling party for bringing the track and field legend’s name into the political discussion. As per him, the attempt was only to gain political advantage. In the end, Tavares-Finson ended the discussion by submitting, “Usain deserves better than having his name used in a vulgar manner for political gain.” And now, the latest entrant is Gabby Thomas. Did she say something off, or did she support Usain Bolt’s stand on the matter? Let’s dive deeper to know it all. 

Gabby Thomas shares a proper idea that keeps her safe financially 

Gabby Thomas, the electric American sprinter, has spent years mastering the art of speed, but in this race, she wasn’t sprinting down a track—she was dodging financial pitfalls. And as fate would have it, her lesson came with an eerie parallel to the predicament of none other than Usain Bolt.

During her conversation with Networth & Chill, Gabby revisited the shocking $12.8 million financial fraud that blindsided Bolt, recalling how his trusted team had been siphoning off his money right under his nose. “Usain Bolt right now is going through something like this, like publicly, where his team took six million US dollars of his money under his nose,” she said, reflecting on the scandal that rocked the track and field legend’s world. But as she spoke, her mind flashed back to her own financial nightmare.

Once upon a time, Gabby, too, put her trust in the wrong hands. “I had a team before, you know, that was handling a lot of my contracts and my deals and my partnerships,” she admitted. Young, ambitious, and unaware of the lurking dangers, she believed niceness equated to trustworthiness. But reality hit hard. “I just realized that the contracts that I had and the deals that I had, they were definitely taking more money from me than they should have been and I was definitely being taken advantage of and had lost the money.”

It was a massive blow, a financial wound that taught her the most valuable lesson of all: blind trust is the fastest way to lose everything. That’s why, when she heard about how Bolt’s fraudsters had been feeding him fake documents while he unknowingly lost a huge chunk of his fortune, she felt an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu. 

The problem, she noted, is clear: when you let others take the wheel of your finances without checking the route yourself, you risk driving straight into disaster. So, how does she avoid the same fate today?

Gabby Thomas doesn’t just trust anymore—she verifies. She surrounds herself with a team of professionals, sure, but at the end of the day, she understands one undeniable truth: “It’s our responsibility to handle our own finances.” She takes the reins, checks the numbers, and makes sure future Gabby isn’t left picking up the pieces of a preventable mistake. “I am responsible for future Gabby’s success, nobody else.” And that’s the difference. Where some might crumble under betrayal, Gabby Thomas learns. She adjusts. She sharpens her instincts. If Bolt’s situation was a cautionary tale, hers is a declaration: never again. She’s not just running toward the finish line—she’s making sure she owns every step of the way. But again, there’s something in the background that helped Gabby to understand the financial crisis. 

The humble background has some ways to decide things 

Gabby Thomas might be a lightning-fast sprinter on the track, but when it comes to life, she’s been in a marathon of lessons—each one shaping her into the powerhouse she is today. And while her recent financial wisdom came through hard-earned experience, her first real exposure to survival, resilience, and money management came from none other than her biggest role model—her mother, Jennifer Randall. 

Gabby’s mother didn’t just teach her kids about financial responsibility; she lived it. In a heartfelt conversation on Why Not Me? With Mike Jackson, Gabby peeled back the layers of her upbringing, revealing a story of grit, sacrifice, and quiet strength. “My mom is a rock star… it is hard, but my mom grew up dirt poor in Mobile, Alabama. I mean, Jennifer had eight siblings—nine. They didn’t have much and struggled to keep the lights on.”

Just picture it—growing up in a house full of siblings, where every dollar had to stretch, every meal was a calculated effort, and every day was a lesson in making do with what you had. But Jennifer Randall wasn’t about to let her circumstances define her future. Against all odds, she earned a scholarship to Duke University—a fundamental change not just for her, but for the generations to follow.

That spirit of resilience ran deep in the Thomas household. Gabby remembers her mother working multiple jobs while still studying, somehow managing to balance it all. And despite their own struggles, Jennifer made sure her kids never felt the full weight of financial hardship. “Sure, you know, hit with a little bit of a hardship—not that my brother and I are hardship, but you know, twins hurdle in life’s journey,” Gabby shared with a laugh. But watching her mother juggle responsibilities, push through exhaustion, and still show up for her children? 

That was an education no textbook could provide. It was in those moments—seeing her mother make ends meet, prioritize what mattered, and never back down—that Gabby absorbed her first lessons in financial awareness. And now, whether it’s negotiating contracts, managing sponsorships, or ensuring her financial future remains secure, Gabby carries that wisdom with her. The same way her mother ran toward opportunity rather than away from struggle, Gabby Thomas sprints forward—not just toward gold medals, but toward a future built on the values she learned at home.