Atlanta Falcons Safety Jessie Bates III made a serious power move with his money, investing $150,000 in SpaceX back in 2022, and now that bet looks like it could pay off huge. We’re talking a potential ten times return on that initial investment, which is just absolutely wild.
The Play That Could Make Him Millions
This isn’t your everyday investment story. Back in 2022, Bates put six figures, $150,000 to be exact, into SpaceX’s Series J funding round when the company was valued at a cool $127 billion. The opportunity came through his advisor, Michael V. Ledo of RISE Family Office. Bates even admits he’s usually a conservative investor, so this move was a big shift for him. Now, with SpaceX going public in June 2026 in one of the biggest IPOs ever at a mind-blowing $1.77 trillion, that $150K investment could be worth ten times more. Can you imagine that kind of return in just four years? He’s preparing to sell his stake, and honestly, who wouldn’t be?
More Than Just Football Money: A Legacy Play
Bates isn’t just a Pro Bowl safety; he’s proving to be a pretty sharp businessman, too. Hailing from Fort Wayne, IN, a place he describes as not the most privileged, Bates credits his upbringing and his single mom working two jobs for shaping his work ethic. “My mom did a heck of a job of raising me,” Bates said, adding that “sports definitely gave me more exposure to see more than just going to work from 9 to 5.” He learned early from his advisor that making money is only the start, the real game is making that money work for you long after the pads come off.
His career earnings, including a four-year, $4.9 million rookie deal with the Bengals after being drafted in 2018, and his current monster $64.02 million, four-year deal with the Falcons, put his total at $70.03 million so far. But he’s not just spending it. He’s got stakes in other tech giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, Databricks, Cart.com, and Turo, plus a self-storage facility in Marble Springs, TX. He even set up 529 college savings plans for his little brother, who just graduated high school, back in his rookie year. Now, that brother has “six figures of college funds to go to college wherever he wants.” That’s the real legacy play right there, ensuring opportunities for his family and community. “You invest six figures into a company and four or five years later, you 10X. That’s opportunities I don’t think that a lot of guys are speaking about. In the locker room, it’s just about what car we got, what kind of house we got. It’s bigger than t” he expressed, highlighting the need for players to think beyond flashy purchases. It’s a smart play from a smart guy.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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