- Former NFL star Chad Johnson, known as Ochocinco, opened up about his famously frugal lifestyle during an appearance on Andrew Schulz's Flagrant podcast
- Ochocinco questioned why athletes spend on Rolex watches and private jets while 87% of NFL players end up broke after retiring
- Google confirmed Ochocinco as the most frugal NFL player in history during a live search conducted on the podcast in real time
Chad Johnson, the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver better known as Ochocinco, has laid out exactly how he managed to hold onto most of the fortune he built during his NFL career, and his logic is surprisingly straightforward.
Source: Instagram
Speaking on Andrew Schulz's Flagrant podcast, Johnson explained that he made a conscious decision to avoid the spending habits that drain most athletes dry.
From fake jewellery to budget airline seats, his approach was rooted in one simple question: why pay more for the same result?
Why Ochocinco refused to flash his cash
Johnson was blunt about what he saw as the absurdity of expensive status symbols.
"What time is it? 12:30. That didn't cost me anything. So why am I wearing an $80,000 (Ksh 10 million) Rolex?" he said, adding that buying luxury watches only makes someone else rich off the name on the dial.
He was equally dismissive of private jets. When the hosts brought up the topic, he responded:
"Private what? For what?"
He pointed out that no matter how fast someone boards a plane, everyone lands at the same time, making the premium pointless in his eyes.
Johnson also addressed the pressure many players feel to show off wealth around women who have already looked up their contracts online.
In his view, spending tens of thousands of dollars in a club to impress someone in that situation makes no financial sense whatsoever.
One of the more striking moments in the interview came when the hosts searched live on screen to find out how much Johnson had earned across his 11-year career.
The result: approximately $48 to $49 million (approximately KSh 6.22 billion) . A follow-up search for the most frugal NFL player ever returned Johnson's name at the top of the list, a moment he received with quiet satisfaction.
He credited his discipline for allowing him to save roughly 80 to 82 per cent of his career earnings. His concern was rooted in a sobering statistic he has clearly thought about for years: 87 per cent of NFL players go broke after retirement, a figure he noted has only climbed higher as player salaries have increased.
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Fans and followers were quick to weigh in after the clip spread online:
@mrdailygrind_:
"The smartest NFL player ever."
@_whereisflash:
"It's not being cheap; it's being financially responsible."
@grafh:
"Definitely dropping some jewels here."
@m_geezy82:
"I'm glad someone has good sense; thank you so much."
@phillyspe:
"Smart man - not trying to impress other people."
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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