Did you know nearly 40% of professional athletes have admitted to losing significant money through bad investments and business ventures? Not bad luck. Not market crashes. Bad deals they said yes to before they understood what they were getting into. The good news is that private investments, approached the right way, can be one of the most powerful wealth-building tools available to you. The key is having the right team helping you evaluate them.
The moment your name starts carrying weight, the deals will come. Startup founders, real estate developers, private equity sponsors, friends of friends with “something big.” The pitch will feel exciting, and often it should. The opportunity may be real. What separates the deals that build wealth from the ones that erode it comes down to preparation and process.
What “Private Investment” Actually Means
Private investments cover a broad range of assets: stakes in private companies, real estate, private equity funds, venture capital, and direct lending arrangements. They fall outside public markets and are typically available only to accredited investors, meaning people who meet certain income or net worth thresholds.
That access is genuinely valuable. Private markets have historically offered return potential and portfolio diversification that public markets alone cannot provide. Being accredited opens a door worth walking through, as long as you walk through it with your eyes open.
What Good Due Diligence Actually Looks Like
Every strong private investment opportunity still requires a disciplined evaluation process. That means understanding the business model, the investment structure, the track record of the people running it, your liquidity timeline, and how the opportunity fits within your broader financial plan.
Private deals move on their own schedules, and some do have genuine capacity limits and closing timelines. Having an advisor who can move efficiently through that evaluation process means you don’t have to choose between speed and thoroughness. The right team helps you get to a confident answer without cutting corners to get there.
This Is Where Gryphon Changes the Equation
We bring real experience to the table. Gryphon has conducted due diligence on private investment opportunities, sponsored our own funds, and built the analytical infrastructure to assess deals with the same rigor we apply to every element of your financial plan. When an opportunity comes to you, we can tell you whether the structure is sound, whether the projected returns hold up against the actual risk, and whether it belongs in your portfolio at all.
That matters because as an athlete, your earning window is a constraint that most people do not have. The decisions you make during it have consequences that extend decades beyond your last game. Private investments, selected with discipline and sized appropriately, can be a meaningful part of a well-built financial plan.
The goal is to make sure the opportunities you pursue are actually working in your favor, with a team that has done this before standing behind every decision.
Disclosure
This material is provided by Gryphon Financial Partners, LLC (“Gryphon”) for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation of any particular security, strategy, or investment product. Facts presented have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, though Gryphon cannot guarantee their accuracy or completeness. Gryphon does not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. Individuals should seek such guidance from qualified professionals based on their specific circumstances.