<p id=”par-1_52″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/travis-kelce/?swcfpc=1″>Travis Kelce</a> makes millions of dollars a year, but that didn’t stop him from making some poor financial decisions. The tight end has been with the Kansas City Chiefs since 2013, the beginning of his <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/sports/?swcfpc=1″>NFL</a> career. He admitted that before he knew his limits, he spent more than he should have. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-travis-kelce-admitted-he-made-some-financial-mistakes-early-in-his-career”>Travis Kelce admitted he made some financial mistakes early in his career</h2>
<p id=”par-2_30″>In 2013, Kelce signed a contract with the Chiefs worth $3.12 million and a $703,304 signing bonus. He said that the money didn’t go as far as one might expect.</p>
<p id=”par-3_16″>“I have made plenty of financial terrible decisions,” he said in an interview with <em><a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9cvFJm31ww” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Stash Wealth</a></em>. </p>
<p id=”par-4_25″>He noted that he wanted to live <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/travis-kelce-patrick-mahomes-plan-buy-chiefs-players-20000-rolex-watches-win-super-bowl-lix.html/”>an expensive lifestyle</a> in his rookie year to celebrate the fact that he was a professional football player.</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Super-Bowl-LIX-kansas-city-philadelphia.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Travis Kelce wears a white shirt and white suit jacket.” class=”wp-image-3769514″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Travis Kelce | JC Olivera/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-5_52″>“I would say most of it was just being caught up in actually having a good amount of money for the first time and the fact that I’ve always wanted to just live recklessly with being able to appreciate the hard work that I put in with the money that I have.”</p>
<p id=”par-6_19″>Quickly, though, he realized that the money wouldn’t last if he kept spending in the way he had been.</p>
<p id=”par-7_41″>“I’ve always wanted to live that ‘baller lifestyle,’ and I found out that only lasts like a year at the most, trying to do that with the amount of money I had,” he said. “So, it was definitely a learning experience.”</p>
<p id=”par-8_13″>He said it took time, but he eventually figured out how to budget.</p>
<p id=”par-9_17″>“Over the course of time, I figured out exactly what my lifestyle spending limits were,” he said.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-travis-kelce-made-another-big-financial-decision-ahead-of-the-super-bowl”>Travis Kelce made another big financial decision ahead of the Super Bowl</h2>
<p id=”par-10_39″>Ahead of the Super Bowl, Kelce made a big financial decision, though he likely felt this one was worth it. He <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/travis-kelce-said-losing-money-taylor-swift-friends-attend-super-bowl-reportedly-spent-millions.html/”>paid for his friends and family</a> members, including girlfriend Taylor Swift, to attend the game in a suite.</p>
<p id=”par-11_40″>“I’m not really doing much different other than just counting <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/super-bowl-players-still-have-to-pay-for-tickets.html/?swcfpc=1″>how much money I’m spending</a> on this damn Super Bowl for family and friends to come,” he told his brother, Jason Kelce, on their podcast <em>New Heights </em>(per <a href=”https://pagesix.com/2025/01/28/entertainment/travis-kelce-could-drop-3m-on-super-bowl-2025-suite-for-taylor-swift-family/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Page Six</a>).</p>
<p id=”par-12_22″>VIP suites for the game reportedly went for up to $3 million, the amount he made his first year in the NFL.</p>
<p id=”par-13_16″>“Just making sure I’m on top of those finances and losing all this money,” he said.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-he-is-one-of-the-highest-paid-players-in-the-nfl”>He is one of the highest-paid players in the NFL</h2>
<p id=”par-14_49″>With Kelce’s current deal, $3 million isn’t as massive a price tag as it might have once been for him. According to <a target=”_blank” href=”https://www.forbes.com/profile/travis-kelce/” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Forbes</a>, he is worth $52 million. His yearly salary is $17 million, making him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL and the top-earning tight end.</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Travis-Kelce-.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”A close-up of the side of Travis Kelce’s face as he plays for the Kansas City Chiefs” class=”wp-image-3769137″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Travis Kelce | Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
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<p id=”par-15_40″>Off the field, Kelce and his brother recently signed a three-year, $105 million contract for their podcasts. He also makes money through endorsements. None of this comes close to his girlfriend’s net worth, though. Forbes values her at $1.6 billion.</p>