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Since retiring from the National Football League back in 2019, former Pro Bowl running back Marshawn Lynch has spent the years since diversifying his financial portfolio.
Not only did Lynch trademark and monetize his nickname “Beast Mode”, but he’s also invested in indoor football teams, the Seattle Kraken, and the Oakland Roots (a USL soccer team).
He’s got his own cannabis company, is an NFLPA Chief Brand Ambassador, and has had deals with the likes of Skittles, BetMGM, Fanatics, Prime Video, and more. He’s even gotten into acting, appearing in the recent comedy film Bottoms and the Netflix improv series Murderville.
Lynch wasn’t always this serious about his money, though, as he recently told the hosts of the SmartLess podcast — Will Arnett (who Lynch knows from Murderville), Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes — about the exact moment he began to take his financial responsibilities seriously.
“I remember my financial advisor came in — he came in and he was talking. And, s—, I had this thing where I could go to sleep standing straight up. And so he came in and he started talking and I feel asleep, straight up,” Lynch explained.
When co-host Sean Hayes replied, “It goes in one ear, out the other,” Marshawn replied:
“S–, it didn’t go in no ear — I’m SLEEP. Dead to the world. So, as he’s finishing up, and I come to, I see all these names, and these are names of NFL players who, I thought, you know, if you play in the NFL, you’re the richest person in the world. And I’m looking at all these names and I’m seeing they’ve got a number on the side, and I’m like, ‘Damn, f—, they got all this money!'” Lynch said.
“And then at the end of it, he goes through, like, three slides, talking about some of the most notable names in football. And at the end, he says… ‘ALL BANKRUPT!’ And I’m like, ‘What the f—?!’ And he’s like, ‘NO MONEY!’, and I’m like, ‘Nah, hell nah! Now I’m up!'”
Years later, in a 2019 press conference during his final NFL season with the Seattle Seahawks, Lynch famously told young NFL players to “take care of they chicken.”
“This be a vulnerable time for a lot of these young dudes — they don’t be taking care of their chicken right, you feel me?” Marshawn told the press.
“So, if they was me, or if I had an opportunity to let these young sahabs know something, I’d say, ‘Take care of y’all money, African,’ cause that s— don’t last forever. Now, I done been on the other side of retirement. And it’s good when you get over there and you can do whatever the f— you want to. So, I’ll tell y’all now while y’all in it, take care of y’all bread, so when y’all done, you go ahead and take care of yourself. So, while you’re at it right now, take care of your bodies, take care of y’all chicken, take care of y’all mentals, cause we ain’t lasting that long. I had a couple of players that I played with, they no longer here. So start taking care of y’all mentals, y’all bodies, and y’all chicken for when y’all ready to walk away.”
These days, as a result of his NFL contracts and shrewd investments, Lynch has a reported net worth of about $35 million.