Bernie Kosar’s money problems started before he filed for bankruptcy in 2009. In his book Learning to Scramble, he explained that some important opportunities were affected by decisions made by people close to him. That’s why he is warning young athletes to avoid this mistake.
“Don’t have your uncle, your father, be your accountant,” Bernie Kosar said on the Sage Steele show.
“I let my family, because we didn’t really have jobs and I just wanted to play football, I let them do the business stuff. I’m glad I did it. I got massive experience for it. But play your sport and let professionals do that. Not all of them are great, but they’re more licensed and regulated than our family. So if something goes wrong in your family, I don’t want to sue my dad. You see it a lot with the families. You see Lamar Jackson’s mother negotiating his contract.”
One example involved a possible role with the new Cleveland Browns. Kosar, his father Bernie Sr., and owner Al Lerner discussed a deal that could have given Kosar a 5% ownership stake. However, the meeting ended after Kosar’s father insulted Lerner and accused him of using Kosar to gain public support.
“Needless to say, after a brief, stunned silence, the meeting ended abruptly, and I lost whatever chance I had to participate in the new organization,” Kosar said.
Kosar became very successful in business and said his net worth reached about $75 million at its highest point. However, he said bad business deals managed by his father and brother caused major financial losses. He also faced a $3 million divorce settlement, which added to his financial problems.
These problems eventually became too much for Kosar to handle, and he filed for bankruptcy in 2009. In simple terms, Kosar went from having around $75 million to facing serious financial trouble because of poor business decisions, family involvement, and the high costs of his divorce.
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The post "I Don't Want to Sue My Dad": Browns Legend Reveals Family's Role in Going Bankrupt After NFL Retirement appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.