After revealing back in 2021 that he’d take his entire salary in bitcoin, Odell Beckham Jr. is feeling pretty good about that choice in 2025. On Monday, as BTC punched through to a fresh all-time high, Beckham took a victory lap, saying it was “safe to say we still happy with our decision.”
OBJ’s Bitcoin Bet From 2021 Is Paying Off Big in 2025
In 2021, Odell Beckham Jr.—then a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams—made headlines after opting to take his full $4.25 million salary, including his base pay, signing bonus, and incentives, in bitcoin (BTC). Teaming up with Cash App, the move sparked buzz across the sports and crypto worlds, as many fixated on the bold play amid bitcoin’s price swings.
At the time of Beckham’s bitcoin paycheck announcement, BTC hovered between $56,000 and $64,000 per coin. But by 2022, following the FTX collapse, the price tumbled below $18,000. Beckham had already cemented his name in NFL history years earlier with a jaw-dropping, one-handed touchdown grab against the Dallas Cowboys—a catch still hailed as one of the greatest ever seen on the field.
Over the span of three years and seven months, Beckham’s bitcoin payday has climbed significantly in value. On Monday, he jumped on X to show off the gains—clearly enjoying the long game he played with BTC. “Sooooo bitcoin is at an ALL TIME high today…safe to say we still happy with our decision,” Beckham said on X.
Beckham wasn’t alone in making the bitcoin play. In fact, Russell Okung was the first NFL player to convert part of his paycheck into BTC, opting to take half of his $13 million salary in bitcoin back in 2020. Aaron Rodgers followed suit in 2021, along with Sean Culkin and Saquon Barkley, who also jumped aboard the crypto payroll train. With BTC’s 2025 performance far outshining even its 2021 highs, it’s safe to say these players are likely feeling pretty good about their decision.
