Shohei Ohtani’s salary during his time with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters steadily increased as he established himself as one of the most remarkable talents in Japanese baseball.
His annual salaries were as follows:
• 2013: 15 million yen
• 2014: 30 million yen
• 2015: 100 million yen
• 2016: 200 million yen
• 2017: 270 million yen
By the age of twenty, Ohtani had already become a 100-million-yen player, a milestone that many professional athletes take years to reach.
For most people, such a sudden increase in income might lead to a lavish lifestyle—luxury brands, expensive cars, or extravagant spending.
But Ohtani’s approach to money was very different.
From the beginning of his professional career, he entrusted the management of his finances to his parents. Instead of freely spending his salary, he lived on a modest allowance of about 100,000 yen per month that his parents provided.
When asked about his rising salary in an interview, Ohtani gave a surprisingly simple response.
“I don’t really feel it,” he said.
“I don’t even look at my bankbook myself.”
For Ohtani, money was never the focus of his career. His attention remained firmly on baseball and on improving as a player.
This attitude would later draw attention again in 2024, when it was revealed that his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, had illegally transferred large amounts of money from Ohtani’s accounts.
Some observers questioned how a world-famous athlete could remain unaware of such financial activity.
But those who had followed Ohtani’s career in Japan already knew the answer.
His indifference toward money had been part of his personality from the very beginning.
What mattered to him was not the size of his bank account, but the opportunity to pursue the game he loved.
Source
This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.
KADOKAWA Special Edition: Shohei Ohtani, p.22