'Being real, I'm going to buy a car': NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. says $20M a year isn't enough. Jing Pan May 6, 2026 7 min read Carmen Mandato/ Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below. For most Americans, a six-figure salary equals financial security.
So it's easy to assume NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. has cemented his security with an eight-figure, $100-million, five-year contract. But on a recent episode of The Pivot Podcast, the 33-year-old suggested that living off $20-million a year is a challenge. "That's a five-year span," he said.
"Can you make that last forever?" Top Picks Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here's how to fix it ASAP The IRS usually taxes gold as a collectible — but this little-known strategy lets you hold physical bullion tax-free. Get your free guide from Priority Gold After all, Beckham argued, you have to remember that it isn't really $20 million a year after tax — more like $12 million (1) "that you have to spend, use, save, invest, flaunt, whatever." "Just being real, I'm going to buy a car, I'm going to give my mom a house.
Everything costs money." Judging by the backlash, his fans and even some multimillionaire NFL peers think Beckham may have lost touch with reality. "Getting paid more in one year than most Americans will earn in total over the course of their working lives and still making excuses for blowing it is wild," one user posted on X (2). Ex-NFL safety Su'a Kristopher Cravens, originally drafted into the NFL for $4 million, questioned how anyone with a $100-million contract could run out of cash.
Cravens noted that six years after leaving the NFL, he can "live the lifestyle I desire, while also saving money and putting my kids in the position to win later in life" (3). "These guys that touch over 10 million and blow through it sounds like pure user error on their end," he posted. So is Beckham actually "being real" or is it just halftime pyrotechnics?
Turns out one's concept of a comfortable, secure life is subject to inflation, too. Read More: Robert Kiyosaki warned of a 'Greater Depression' — with millions of Americans going poor. More money, more problems Some X users were quick to highlight some of the reasons they believe Beckham might be struggling to manage his multi-million-dollar paychecks.
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