If retired Carolina Panthers player Russell Okung held onto the 240 Bitcoin he received as half of his 2020 salary, it would now be valued at over $20.9 million. Okung made headlines in December 2020 when he announced that he would take about $6.5 million of his $13 million salary in Bitcoin, stating that earning in Bitcoin represented a way to opt out of a corrupt economy. At that time, Bitcoin was valued at approximately $27,000, but it has since surged to around $87,803. Okung expressed a strong commitment to cryptocurrency, vowing not to sell his Bitcoin and criticizing detractors like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whom he challenged during Musk's criticism of Bitcoin's environmental impact. Okung retired from football in June 2023 and, if still holding his Bitcoin, could be regarded as a significant figure among ex-athlete investors.

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