*By Carlo Versano and Conor White*
Alex Rodriguez had one of baseball's most storied and complicated careers, but his investment strategy is quite simple.
That strategy, made famous on "Shark Tank," is about focusing on business segments the former Yankee both understands and is passionate about. He told Cheddar he prefers the "narrow and deep" over the "wide and shallow."
To pursue the narrow and deep, Rodriguez ー the beneficiary of two of the most lucrative contracts in sports history ー is now the CEO of his own investment firm, A-ROD Corp.
His business acumen was first observed during his famous baseball career, when he grew a real-estate portfolio from a single duplex to now more than 10,000 units across 11 states. Real estate was something he understood implicitly after growing up poor in Florida. "I dreamt as a young man that one day I could trade places with the landlord," he said.
He has used that same gut strategy to invest in new ventures in health and fitness, media and entertainment, and even a beauty brand (with the help of his girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez).
Among those investments: a partnership with esports powerhouse NRG. The esports industry is one that Rodriguez called a "phenomenon."
"The numbers and the business keep growing," he said. "Other than the Super Bowl, esports will take a backseat to nothing."
When A-Rod came on the scene as a rookie slugger for the Seattle Mariners in 1994, the idea of a player signing a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars was almost unheard of. But in 2000, he signed a $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers ー the biggest by far at that point.
Now, nine-figure contracts for baseball's best players are more common, and Rodriguez thinks they have room to grow even larger. The league grew from $1 billion to $10 billion in revenues during his time on the field, though he said contracts have not grown apace.
With two of the league's best talents, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, now in free agency, his record for most career earnings ($480 million) could finally be broken ー and he hopes it is. "I am cheering them hard," he said. "I hope they both break it."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/mlb-legend-alex-rodriguez-esports-is-quite-a-phenomenon).
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Tesla shareholders voted to keep Elon Musk on as chairman of the electric carmaker. At the annual shareholder meeting, Musk said the company is on track to deliver 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week by the end of this month. Tesla will also open a new gigafactory in Shanghai, its first outside of the U.S.
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The media exec points out that people will pay for sports content before they even pay for dinner. Discovery inked a $2 billion deal Monday to broadcast golf tournaments internationally, across platforms.
Facebook is under fire again for its privacy practices after reports that it gave device makers like Apple, Amazon, and Samsung access to user data. The New York Times claims that over the past 10 years, the social media site struck deals with at least 60 companies for user information. This latest report is just another setback for Facebook as it tries to repair its reputation following the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.
Apple's developer conference, or WWDC, kicks off today in San Jose, California. This year, the tech giant is focusing on software developments rather than new hardware. Cheddar's Hope King reports live from the conference about what we can expect ahead of the keynote speech.
The 2018 World Cup is just days away. We're joined by Tab Ramos, soccer legend, head coach for the U.S. Men's National U-20 team, and World Cup analyst for Telemundo Deportes, to talk about the big event.
Tab Ramos, soccer legend, head coach for the U.S. Men's National U-20 team, and World Cup analyst for Telemundo Deportes, previews the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The NFL's decision to ban players from taking a knee during the anthem propagates the narrative that the athletes belong at the bottom of a hierarchy and are just supposed to "do as we say," says ex-Giant Victor Cruz. "I think you'll still see some kind of protest," he tells Cheddar.
The skateboarding legend, who became the first person to land a '900' trick back in 1999, has successfully turned his sporting career into a business empire. It all boils down to perseverance and taking risks, he tells Cheddar's Jon Steinberg.
The social media network's live video platform will help grow its monthly active users, especially as consumers rapidly ditch cable for on-demand content, says Motley Fool analyst Jason Moser.
Frank Zaccanelli, a former owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, says the NFL's decision to adopt a new policy on the national anthem without consulting the NFL Players Association was, "one of the dumbest things I've ever heard."
