Russell Wilson's gift for Seahawks offensive linemen: $12K in Amazon stock
Russell Wilson finally has his $140 million contract extension and is now the highest-paid player in the NFL. To thank the linemen who protected him along the way, Wilson reportedly spent more than six figures on a somewhat peculiar gift.
There is, of course, a rich tradition of quarterbacks and running backs giving their blockers expensive gifts: watches, ATVs, custom footballs, televisions, coats, coolers, guns. This might be a new one, though.
Russell Wilson’s Amazon gift
Wilson gave all 13 of the Seattle Seahawks offensive linemen $12,000 in Amazon stock, according to TMZ. The total value of the gift: $156,000.
With Amazon’s stock price currently hovering around $1,800, that $12,000 should roughly work out to around six or seven shares for each lineman.
Wilson’s gift came with a rather intense letter thanking the linemen for sacrificing their “physical and mental well-being” to protect the quarterback and saying he wanted to give them a gift that would last.
"When I sat down to think of ways to honor your dedication a dozen different ideas came to mind. Some were flashy, some were cool, but I wanted to give you something that had a lasting impact. Something that would affect the lives of you, your family, and your children."
Wilson then said that he had arrived at Amazon stock as he believed the company was one that “will grow and change the world.”
"One of the ways I prepare is by investing in companies and ideas that I believe will grow and change the world,” Wilson wrote. “One of these companies is Amazon."
Wilson probably didn’t have to consult too many experts to arrive at the Seattle-based Amazon as a place to invest. Thanks to its capturing of a massive chunk of the U.S. retail market, the rise of Amazon Web Services and investments in areas like video streaming, Amazon has seen its stock price rise six-fold in the past five years and currently has a market capitalization of around $1 trillion.
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