Michael Phelps Used to Spend $25,000 Weekly for a Habit Similar to Idol, Michael Jordan

Michael Phelps is a man known for his many achievements. The man, often known as ‘the flying fish,’ swam his way to 23 Olympic gold medals- the most by any Olympian. Phelps got engaged to Nicole Johnson in 2015 and has been a family man ever since. He has always made his family a priority. He has also talked about the importance of being there for his sons. But, before it got better, it all went south for the champion swimmer.

In 2014, Phelps got arrested with a charge of DUI, after which he resorted to therapy. But, a couple of years before that, Phelps found himself involved in an activity even Michael Jordan was addicted to.

Michael Phelps developed an expensive habit

Significant success leads to great fame and a lot of money. With the world chasing him after the Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps was at the top of the world. 8 Gold medals in a single Olympic venture was a feat no one even dreamed of, but Phelps made it a reality. Having signed multiple endorsement deals, Michael became a rich man. But the money meant he could indulge in some risky activities.

After retiring (for the first time) in 2012, Phelps got involved in some high-stakes poker. It got so bad that Phelps would play a weekly game with a $25,000 buy-in. A friend of Michael’s made the startling revelation about the swimmer’s worrying addictions. He added they were worried he would bet millions on the game.

The anonymous friend?said,?“Michael has a don’t quit until you win, attitude.” While this proved beneficial for him during the Olympics, it wasn’t the best of approaches to the game of gambling. During a trip to Las Vegas for a game of poker, Phelps walked away with $100,000 in winnings. The Olympic swimmer spent a sizable chunk of it later that night at a club.

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The GOAT swimmer is not the only champion athlete who’s been involved in risky activity. His ‘Airness’ Michael Jordan was another athlete who caught wind of the game. His addiction got so bad that he would bet hundreds of thousands on a single putt during a friendly game of golf.

Michael Jordan’s gambling habits

Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players. He became the first athlete to achieve ‘billionaire’ status and remains the richest athlete to date. A large chunk of his income comes from his partnership with Nike and their signature line of sneakers, Air Jordan.

With so much money in his bank account, Jordon turned to gambling to make things… ‘interesting’. He caught wind of the activity so badly that he started betting on the weirdest of things. Former San Diego Sports Arena manager, Richard Esquinas, revealed Jordan owed him close to $1.3million in bets after golfing together for ten days. Charles Barkley told the media Jordan bet him $300,000 on a single putt while golfing together. Once, while waiting for their luggage at the Airport, Jordon bet his Olympic teammates his bags would be the first to come out. Jordan made the easiest 900 dollars of his life as he won. Michael later admitted he bribed the airport staff to win the bet.

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Phelps found the right track before he could splurge millions as he started therapy. As for Jordan, the ‘gambling enthusiast’ never over-indulged and kept his bets toned down to just between his friends.