Even though former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez achieved financial success, he has some regrets. His biggest of them all is not taking advantage of the dot-com boom investing possibilities in the 1990s.
Rodriguez recently acknowledged his regret for not learning more about the stock market in his early years as a baseball player in Seattle. He said in an interview with CNBC Make It:
“When I was in Seattle, I wish I would have just bought a bunch of the locals. If I bought Amazon, Microsoft and Starbucks, I wouldn’t have to work so hard today.”
Even without these lost investment opportunities, Alex Rodriguez, with a net worth of $350 million, is by no means in poor financial condition. According to Forbes, during his stellar 22-year baseball career, Rodriguez made $35 million via sponsorships.
Alex Rodriguez: From baseball icon to entrepreneur
Apart from a successful career in baseball, Alex Rodriguez has had a variety of entrepreneurial endeavors.
While still playing baseball, he started A-Rod Corp in 2003. He holds the positions of chairman and CEO of the startup investment company and also serves as a guest judge on ABC's "Shark Tank.
Moreover, Rodriguez is a co-owner of NBA team Minnesota Timberwolves and is a baseball commentator for FOX Sports and ESPN. After receiving a recent diagnosis of gum disease, he just teamed up with OraPharma to spread awareness about gum health.
In 2008, he agreed a 10-year, $275 million contract with the New York Yankees, which at the time was the biggest sports contract in history. It's noteworthy that Rodriguez broke the contract record for the second time in as many years.
That happened when he committed to a 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers in 2001. More than two decades later, both deals are among the 20 biggest in sports history.
Rodriguez made around $475 million in salary, incentives and endorsements by the time he retired.