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With four Super Bowl titles under his belt, legendary football tight end Rob Gronkowski has earned millions from his illustrious NFL career. But his most impressive financial touchdown happened off the field — and had nothing to do with sports.
Back in 2014, while playing for the New England Patriots, Gronkowski was building a house in Foxborough, Massachusetts with the help of a contractor who repeatedly urged him to invest in one specific stock.
“Every time I saw him, when we were building the house, he kept saying, ‘Get Apple. Get Apple,” Gronkowski recalled in an interview with Fortune.
He eventually gave in, despite it being uncharted territory for him.
“I [had] never been involved in stocks. I really didn’t know how stocks work. So I was like, ‘All right, let me do this, man,’” said Gronkowski. “After the 50th time, I got it. And let me tell you, it’s the best investment I’ve ever had in my life.”
Determined to make a bold move, Gronkowski decided to “go big.”
“So I call up my financial advisor. I’m like, ‘Put $69,000 in Apple.’ My own money, with no advice like this is just from the guy who built my house here in the New England area,” he said.
For a while, Gronkowski forgot about the investment. Two and a half years later, he revisited it — and was stunned to discover his Apple stock had grown to $250,000. So he sold a portion of the shares but held onto the rest.
As Apple’s stock price continued to rise, so did the value of his remaining shares.
“Now to this day, I have over $600,000 in Apple stock, all because of the investment I made in 2014 having no idea what I was doing, but just listening to the guy that built my house here in New England,” he told Fortune.
While not everyone has $69,000 to act on a stock tip, many assets that were once exclusive to the ultra-wealthy are now within reach for everyday Americans.
Here’s a look at how you can take advantage of these opportunities — even if you’re not an NFL superstar.
Invest in stocks
Stocks represent ownership in businesses, giving investors a stake in the profits and growth of the companies they choose to support. By owning shares, you can benefit from a company’s success through price appreciation and, in some cases, dividend income, making stocks a powerful tool for building wealth over time.
However, while Gronkowski’s Apple investment turned out to be a big win, not all stock tips lead to success. Legendary investor Warren Buffett — who made billions from his Apple investment — warns against acting on random advice.
“Never invest in a business you cannot understand,” Buffett advises according to CNBC, emphasizing the importance of doing your own research. He also advocates for owning businesses with durable competitive advantages — those with strong, sustainable edges over their competitors.
Today, there are more resources than ever to help investors make informed decisions. For instance, platforms like Moby, founded by former hedge fund analysts, offer stock research and insights tailored for everyday investors.
Moby’s stock picks have outperformed the S&P 500 by an average of 11.95% over the past four years, helping over 5 million users identify promising investments before they take off.
Invest in real estate
Real estate has long been a cornerstone of wealth building, offering opportunities for both rental income and appreciation.
Gronkowski is no stranger to the sector. According to Architectural Digest, his first major purchase was a $1.6 million, 4,781-square-foot mansion in South Tampa in 2012.
The home, featuring four bedrooms and seven bathrooms, sold just a year later for $2.08 million. Gronkowski then custom-built a Victorian-style home in Foxborough — the very project where his contractor recommended investing in Apple.
In 2016, Gronkowski expanded his portfolio by acquiring a $1.9 million, 2,063-square-foot corner-unit penthouse in Boston’s trendy Seaport District. He sold the property in 2019 for $2.3 million, turning a tidy profit. That same year, Gronkowski headed south, purchasing a $1.7 million Biscayne Bay double-condo in Miami from retired Norwegian soccer star John Carew.
Of course, not everyone has millions to invest — even regular single-family homes have become increasingly expensive. However, you don’t need to purchase a house outright to start building wealth through real estate.
Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived have made it easier for average Americans to invest in rental properties without the need for a hefty down payment or the burden of property management.
With Arrived, you can invest in shares of rental homes with as little as $100, all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing leaky faucets or handling difficult tenants.
The process is simple: browse a curated selection of homes that have been vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, select the number of shares you’d like to purchase, and then sit back as you start receiving rental income deposits from your investment.
Invest in art
It’s easy to see why great works of art tend to appreciate over time. The supply is inherently limited, and many famous pieces have already been snatched up by museums and collectors.
Investing in art has become a popular strategy for diversifying wealth, and several NFL players have tapped into this market.
Former linebacker Keith Rivers, for instance, has built an impressive collection of modern and contemporary art, featuring pieces by iconic artists like Andy Warhol, Barbara Kruger and Glenn Ligon.
Similarly, Malcolm Jenkins, a two-time Super Bowl champion, has embraced art collecting, focusing on works that reflect his values and interests.
Art offers a unique advantage as an investment because it’s a tangible physical asset with little correlation to the stock market. According to Masterworks, postwar and contemporary art prices have outpaced the S&P 500 by 43% (1995-2024).
Traditionally, investing in fine art was a privilege reserved for the ultra-wealthy. However, platforms like Masterworks have made this market more accessible, allowing everyday investors to invest in shares of multi-million dollar art.
With 23 successful exits to date, every one of them profitable, Masterworks has delivered annualized net returns like 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%. New offerings have sold out in minutes, but you can skip the waitlist here.
- See important Regulation A disclosures at Masterworks.com/cd
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
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