Chad Johnson’s NFL persona had many believing that his bank account would not long outlive his NFL career. However, despite the gold teeth, Johnson was actually one of the most frugal professional athletes you’ll ever meet.
Advertisement
Ochocinco was one of the best wideouts in the game for most of the 2000s. He had six straight 1,000+ yard seasons from 2002 to 2007, and he also earned six straight Pro Bowls, two First-Team All-Pros, and one Second-Team nod. He finished his career with 11,059 yards and 67 TDs. But, back in that era, players weren’t paid nearly as much. In 11 years in the league, Johnson made just under $49 million.
Many believed he blew through his earnings quickly, as has regrettably been the case with many professional athletes. However, Johnson’s thriftiness is now one of the most well-known things about the Nightcap co-host. A few years ago, Google listed his net worth at just $5 million. Ochocinco made sure to set the record straight, showing the Fullsend podcast hosts his bank account—which had upwards of $15 million.
“I’m the cheapest f***er in the world… Why would it be that low? Do they think I spend all this money? Do they think I’ve fallen into a stereotype? … When I played, I was the cheapest son of a b*tch. Extremely cheap,” a visibly frustrated Ocho said.
Ochocinco would probably take pretty well to being called a miser because he’s all about saving and collecting checks—not spending them.
His unwillingness to spend money on unnecessary things is perhaps most perfectly represented in the story of his first two years in the NFL. After he was drafted in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001, Johnson moved in with his team.
And when we say move in with his team, we don’t mean move in with a teammate or a coach. We mean he quite literally lived at Paul Brown Stadium, where the team’s training facilities are also housed. Apparently, the amenities provided for game-day Bengals fans were more than enough for the financially conscious Johnson. He stayed there until Marvin Lewis arrived in 2003 and told him to get his own place.
“I stayed at the stadium the first two years, because I didn’t wanna spend no money. What’s the point? [Head coach] Marvin [Lewis], walked up in my third year. Why are you telling me go rent a house, go buy a house, go rent a condo, when everything I need is right here in the facility at Paul Brown [Stadium]? Showers, cafeteria, TV, couch, gaming system. What’s the point?”
Johnson has also talked about his disdain for things like Ferraris and jewelry, often reciting that same phrase: “What’s the point?”
It’s a great question that most people spending money on those unnecessary symbols of wealth cannot answer. Ochocinco is famous for saying he doesn’t fly private either, instead happy to ride Spirit as long as it gets him “from point A to point B”.
Chad Johnson was known for his jewelry during his playing days, but he insisted he “never bought real anything” while he was playing. Instead, he was happy to go with replicas from Claire’s. Considering that people rarely noticed (if ever) that he was wearing fakes, it seems that was a pretty good strategy in the end.
