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The fast-growing NFT wave from earlier this year saw NFL legend Tom Brady invest in the popular Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection. However, amid the recent freefall in the crypto-verse, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has lost close to $200,000.
Back in April, Brady made the headlines after he acquired Bored Ape #3667 for 133 ETH, worth over $430,000 at the time. This specific NFT featured a six-trait dark brown fur ape with a World War II pilot helmet. He wears a sleeveless logo t-shirt and a bored, unshaven look while smoking.
While Brady never shared information about his acquisition, he did retweet a post from the NFT community Twitter account, Tripsters. They welcomed the quarterback to the BAYC in the below post:
As things stand, Tom Brady has suffered a loss of nearly 68% in his investment. The recent slump in all things related to decentralized finance (DeFi) has seen the price of Ethereum fall to around $1,700. This makes the value of his investment to around $235,000. Moreover, the Bored Ape NFT, which the player owns, reportedly has a bid value of just $136,034.31.
The former New England Patriots star is not the only NFL athlete to add a "Bored Ape" to their collection. The likes of Dez Bryant, Mark Ingram, Brandon McManus, Von Miller and others have acquired BAYC NFTs since its launch in April 2021.
Tom Brady's crypto venture Autograph raised $170 million in January 2022
For Tom Brady, this isn't his first foray into the NFT-verse, either. In June 2021, the quarterback and his wife, Gisele Bundchen, acquired an unknown stake in crypto firm, FTX.
Furthermore, his crypto venture Autograph raised $170 million in a Series B funding round led by Silicon Valley investors Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins.
He launched Autograph in July 2021 to help athletes and entertainers launch and promote their non-fungible tokens. The venture already has NFT deals with several celebrities like Tiger Woods, Naomi Osaka and Tony Hawk.
Elsewhere, the seven-time Super Bowl MVP is set to return for his 23rd season in the NFL. The quarterback did announce his retirement at the end of the 2021 season. This followed the Buccaneers' Divisional round playoff defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. However, Brady reversed his decision within 40 days, letting fans know that he still has some "unfinished business" in the league.
After leaving the Patriots as a free agent in 2019, Tom Brady originally signed a two-year deal with Tampa worth $50 million. Since he decided to return for the 2022 season, his deal was restructured to add another year. The player will reportedly make $15 million this season.
The Buccaneers are hoping to win it all in the upcoming campaign. With Tom Brady leading a dangerous-looking offense, it could well happen. Julio Jones and Russell Gage have joined a receiver room that also boasts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
We will see how they get on when the season kicks off in a month's time.
