Russell Okung's $6.5M Bitcoin Salary in 2020 Panthers Contract Now Worth $20M

Russell Okung's bet on Bitcoin four years ago when he was a member of the Carolina Panthers is paying off handsomely.

Per Amit Kumar Jha of Essentially Sports, the former offensive tackle turned his $6.5 million salary in 2020 into $20 million today by being paid in the cryptocurrency.

Okung's salary in 2020 was $13 million, which he requested half of to be paid in Bitcoin.

William Foxley of CoinDesk.com noted in December 2020 the Panthers partnered with Bitcoin platform Zap to split Okung's salary for the season.

The Panthers deposited $6.5 million into Zap's Strike product that allowed traditional paychecks to be converted into Bitcoin, which is sent to a cold storage wallet that belongs to Okung.

Okung, who earned $108.9 million in contracts during his NFL career, was more than happy to take a victory lap after more than tripling his $6.5 million Bitcoin gamble.

The 36-year-old Okung was a first-round draft pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2010. He started 131 games in 11 seasons with four different teams, with the 2020 season being his final year in the NFL.

Okung was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and won a Super Bowl as a member of the 2013 Seahawks team.