“You see inflation, you see how high it is right now, and you learn that you can’t save yourself to wealth. You can’t.” The Eagles’ star running back, Saquon Barkley, had come to this realization about money a long time ago. A large chunk of the money NFL stars make gets swept away in taxes. And if you throw in the rising inflation, it becomes even harder to amass wealth for the future. With this realization, way back in 2021, when Barkley was still running for the Giants, he made a major decision. As he had put it back then, “That’s why I’m going to be taking my marketing money in Bitcoin.”The history of Bitcoin goes back almost two decades. First introduced in 2008, it only took a year before people started using it as currency. Since then, the rise of Bitcoin’s value has been nothing short of meteoric. Back in 2021, when Barkley first decided to get paid through Bitcoin for his endorsement deals, they were worth around 30k each. Cut to present, and that value has skyrocketed over 100k several times since 2024. And now, Saquon Barkley has shared what got him into the crypto market back then.Saquon Barkley recently did an interview with Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange platform. He also shared the interview on his IG story. The interviewer asked him, “How did you decide to invest at that moment? – did people around you kind of say that was a dumb or crazy thing?” Barkley’s response? “Yeah, I mean, people are going to say, they’re always going to have something to say no matter what. That’s something my mom taught me, whether its getting involved into new things, whether it’s in football, they’re always going to have something to say.” But Barkley didn’t listen to the judgment or criticism surrounding his decision. He saw a major opportunity to secure his wealth, and he went all-in for it. Looking back on it now, and looking at the current values, it’s a decision that he hasn’t regretted one bit. But what was the inspiration behind this call? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coinbase (@coinbase)As Saquon Barkley looked back, he shared the story of how it all started. “I felt like it was the right time to get involved. – having a conversation with Pomp and Jack, I felt like that was the perfect time to do it.” Back in July 2021, on a YouTube video, Barkley had discussed Bitcoin and inflation with Anthony Pompliano and Jack Mallers. The goal was to “create generational wealth.” And there was another person who convinced Barkley to go all-in with Bitcoin. As Barkley further added in the interview, “I was able to get on a phone call with Michael Saylor. Back then, he told me that I should take all my money and put it in. I think, ‘he’s doing pretty well. I probably should listen to him.’ But yeah, you’re going to have people who have their opinions, but that’s what I felt like was right.”Michael Saylor is the co-founder and chairman of MicroStrategy. And through his firm, he started buying and collecting bitcoin in 2020. As of June 2025, his Bitcoin evaluation stands somewhere near $63.85 billion. Clearly, the advice he gave Saquon Barkley back in 2021 wasn’t just an opinion; it was almost a future sight. But for Tom Brady, it was a different ballgame. Back in 2021, the same year when Barkley decided to go with Bitcoin, Brady entered an agreement with FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange company. Brady served as an ‘ambassador’ for FTX and received $30 million worth of company shares for his work in advertising the company. His then-wife, Gisele Bundchen, also received $18 million worth of shares. But cut to November 2022, and the company filed for bankruptcy, leaving a $48 million hole in Brady and Bundchen’s finances.But that wasn’t the end of troubles for Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen. Promoting the company through TV Ads and FTX conferences, Brady and Bundchen brought in a lot of investors to the company. And when the company went under, both of them faced lawsuits from investors who wanted their money back. Many other promoters, including Shaquille O’Neal, Larry David, Naomi Osaka, and Stephen Curry, also faced similar lawsuits. As per reports from back then, FTX’s value was estimated to be around $32 billion, but now that billion-dollar company isn’t worth anything.While Tom Brady lost a major chunk of his wealth because of the crypto company, Saquon Barkley was quietly amassing his wealth through Bitcoins. And if we take a look at the present time, Barkley isn’t just crushing it with crypto. As per recent reports, he has gotten himself another milestone that is nothing short of historic. He has broken a record that has remained unattainable for 8 long years until now.Saquon Barkley breaks NFLPA recordSaquon Barkley is slowly writing one of the grandest success stories in NFL history. First, it was his explosive performance with the Eagles that flipped the script on the RB game across the league. Then there was the massive $41.2 million contract extension he got with his new two-year deal with the Eagles. If that wasn’t enough, the dude also got himself on the cover of Madden NFL ‘26 with his legendary backwards hurdle. And now, there’s one more badge to put on for Barkley that’s turning heads.As per a post on X by Adam Schefter, Saquon Barkley has flipped the script on a major record. He’s got the most licensed merch sold out of any NFL player. And the record? As Schefter wrote, “Saquon Barkley claimed the retail crown atop the NFLPA’s Year-End Top 50 Player Sales List, becoming the first running back since 2017 to finish no. 1.” With this record, he has surpassed five QBs to take first place. The Top 10 list, behind Barkley, includes Patrick Mahomes (no. 2) and even his own QB Jalen Hurts (no. 3). While Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud, and Josh Allen take up the 4th, 5th, and 6th place, respectively. Barkley is truly gearing up to be one of the most impactful players in the league, and not just on the gridiron.As Saquon Barkley continues his NFL journey in stride, he has also vowed to give his fans some more “highlight-reel moments.” If he can follow through on his promise, he might just retain the NFLPA throne for a second year running. Do you think he can do it? Let us know in the comments below.The post Eagles’ Saquon Barkley Risks Major Investment That Cost Tom Brady Millions After Breaking 8-Year Hoodoo appeared first on EssentiallySports.