Rob Gronkowski stumbled into an old Apple investment worth over half a million dollars (Image: Getty)
Former star and hero has scored a significant boost to his net worth. That’s after he secured a staggering £470,902 profit from an stock investment he had forgotten about for nearly a decade.
The ex-New England Patriots tight end, who invested £54,153 in 2014, received a tip-off from an unlikely adviser – a contractor working on his Massachusetts residence. With or without this tech windfall, Gronkowski’s wealth is impressive, estimated at around £35.3million by. His illustrious career with the Patriots saw him clinch three Super Bowl victories and smash records. He also holds the record for the most touchdown receptions by a tight end.
Rob Gronkowski is worth a huge amount (Image: Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)
Despite signing a lucrative six-year, £42.3m contract extension with the Patriots, Gronk was a rookie in the investment game at the time. “I’d never been involved in stocks. I really didn’t know how stocks worked. So I was like, ‘Alright, let me do this,” he said in a conversation with Fortune.
Gronkowski, looking to shore up his finances for life after football, took a punt on Apple shares, banking on their growth. That bet has now matured into a hefty sum exceeding £470,902.
The star admitted that he had completely lost sight of his investment while focusing on amassing a glittering array of football accolades, including Pro Bowl selections and Super Bowl victories. As he carved out a legendary status on the field, his Apple shares were quietly skyrocketing in value, reports .
Rob Gronkowski in action for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Image: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The sports star was taken aback when he recently reviewed his financial portfolio, discovering: “To this date, I have over $600,000 of Apple stock. Having no idea what I was doing but just listening to the man who built my house here in New England,” he said.
Back in 2014, when Gronk took a punt on Apple, the shares were a mere £19.29 ($24.58) each. Now, almost a decade later, those same shares are fetching an eye-watering £190.77 ($243.07) apiece.
Throughout his NFL career, Gronk has raked in approximately £47m ($60m) in salary. In his 2015 memoir “It’s Good To Be Gronk,” the gridiron great boasted that he hadn’t touched a dime of his NFL earnings, instead living off the proceeds from his extensive endorsement deals.
Gronkowski’s illustrious deals span across endorsements with household names like Nike, Dunkin’ Donuts, Visa, T-Mobile, Lyft, and Cheerios. His personal brand flourished with unique products such as Gronk Flakes by PLB Sports in 2012 and his very own hot sauce that hit the shelves in 2015, while Monster Energy introduced a “Gronk” flavour to their line-up in 2016, further bolstering the NFL star’s financial portfolio.
Meanwhile, Apple’s valuation took an extraordinary jump as well. From a hefty £453.8bn $578.29bn at the end of 2014, it skyrocketed to an astounding £2.7trillion ($3.551tn), establishing itself as an industry titan by becoming the first company to cross the $1trillion mark in 2018.
Since introducing the world to the iPhone in 2007, the stock of the technological powerhouse has inflated by an almost surreal 972 percent. While someone of Gronkowski’s stature wouldn’t find any investment growth life-altering, it certainly highlights the benefits of consistent investing, combined with a dash of Gronk’s distinctive charm and good fortune.
Even after liquidating part of his investments in Apple, Gronkowski maintains a significant chunk of his lucrative shares. According to CB Insights, the former tight-end’s investment savvy extends to five ventures, including a stake in Casa Azul Spirits anticipated for summer 2024.