Cam Newton was drafted in 2011 as the No. 1 pick that year. He signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the Carolina Panthers and also had a signing bonus of more than $14 million.
“My rookie deal, it was capped. Right? And it was $22 million, all guaranteed,” Newton shared during a Boardroom episode, according to AfroTech. “And Drake had a song out, ’25 sittin’ on $25 mil’. And I was like, ‘I’m 20-years-old, sitting on $22 mil, you feel me?”
“It wasn’t the signing bonus that gave me that rush. It was that every Tuesday when you looked at that account and when you seen that plus or that green number that’s coming in. I was looking at $732,000… a game,” he added.
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Despite earning millions in his prime, he also had a retirement plan. He was mindful of the challenges other athletes like him have faced post-retirement, with some sliding into poverty. He didn’t want his retirement story to be that way.
This led him to turn his focus to entrepreneurship. His decision was also influenced by how much NFL owners were making, including other leagues. This led him to invest in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2016 as a minority investor. The management allowed him to invest the maximum amount of $250k and nothing more.
“Full transparency, I put as much as I possibly could in there,” he revealed. “They capped me at a quarter mil’…I tried to invest more, and then, a couple of years ago, I get an email and it’s like, ‘UFC has just been bought out. We’re gonna cash you out for it.’”
Now, Newton said the investment earned him over $1 million, according to AfroTech. In addition to his UFC investment, he also runs a property management company on the side, as per Andrew Petcash.
What is more, he also owns a cigar lounge and restaurant in Atlanta, according to the thesportsrush.com. He also launched his own clothing line, offering ties, polos, hoodies, and business casual attire for young adults.
