I Really Want To Feel Bad For Trent Richardson, But He's Making It Exceedingly Difficult

LBS-  Richardson revealed that his family and close friends blew threw $1.6 million of his money between the months of January 2015 and October 2015. 

“I finally just looked at my bank statement, and I was just like, ‘Where did this come from? Where did that come from?'” Richardson recalled. “And my guy was sitting there telling me, ‘Man, we were telling you.’ I know he was telling me, but that’s just like telling a kid to stop running in the hall. They’re going to still do it when you turn your back.”

The money was apparently spent in a variety of ways. Richardson told Smith that at one point there were 11 Netflix accounts and eight Hulu accounts under his name, and he doesn’t use either service. He also said he noticed several charges from Amazon.com. Richardson’s friends and family also often ordered bottle service and VIP packages at nightclubs, and the 26-year-old running back says he doesn’t even drink.

“I was like, ‘How did y’all spend this money?’ I spent $300 in two weeks,” he said. “Y’all are trying to live a lifestyle that I’m not even living, that y’all think I should be living.”

Richardson’s rookie deal with the Cleveland Browns was worth $20.5 million, all of which was fully guaranteed.



I always find it sad when athletes (or any other public figure for that matter) make a lot of money at a young age and their vulnerability and gratuity is taken advantage of by their family and friends. Trent Richardson basically banked $20 million dollars at the age of 22 and I can't say that I wouldn't have been just as stupid with what seems like an endless amount of money at that stage in my life either. 

That said, as much as want to feel sympathy for him, he makes it pretty goddamn difficult with a sob story that has far too many "wait, what?" moments. Obviously I don't think you have to be unintelligent to be taken for granted financially, but the only person dumber than the group of friends that don't realize they can just share one NetFlix account instead of creating ELEVEN is the multi-millionaire that GIVES THEM HIS CREDIT CARD INFORMATION! You have to be a special kind of stupid to leave your money in the hands of people that stupid. I feel like Trent Richardson threw in the fact that he doesn't drink like it was going to work in his favor, but it only makes me question how a sober person can get taken for 7 figures by his friends. Not only are bars and club most often responsible for the "where the fuck did that money go?" realization, but you'd almost have to be drunk to give that many people easy access to your bank account. I'm not saying that I would consider checking my bottomline a priority if I were Trent Richardson, but I also wouldn't have turned my generous rookie deal into a joint account between myself and every person in my cell phone. Dude is almost lucky the fiscal damage wasn't worse with how little protection he provided his assets.

Plus, if you're going to go the 'woe is me' route then you better tell me that more than $1.6 million dollars got wasted because earning $18.4 million for one semi-redeemable year of NFL service isn't exactly going to leave me crying you a river.