Dwyane Wade and A’ja Wilson team up with JPMorgan to help athletes build lasting wealth

The initiative comes in response to a long-standing issue across professional sports: financial instability after retirement.

Dwyane Wade and A’ja Wilson are at the center of a new effort by JPMorgan Chase to help athletes better manage their finances, from their earliest earnings to life after sports.

The bank recently announced the launch of its Athlete Council, an initiative led by Wade and featuring a high-profile group of athletes including Tom Brady, Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Jalen Brunson. Together, they will work with JPMorgan executives to shape financial tools and programs tailored specifically for athletes.

The initiative comes in response to a long-standing issue across professional sports: financial instability after retirement. According to JPMorgan, about one in six NFL players declares bankruptcy within 12 years of leaving the league, highlighting the risks tied to short career spans and sudden wealth.

Wade emphasized the importance of guidance and education in helping athletes avoid those outcomes. “Having the right educational resources and guidance is critical to making smart decisions about money as your career evolves,” he said in a statement.

Wilson echoed that sentiment, focusing on the responsibility athletes have to pass down knowledge to the next generation. “We’re starting to try to turn the page and help the youth in the next generation understand that you have to build trust, you have to build boundaries and know exactly how you want to operate with your money,” she said.

JPMorgan executives say the council will play a direct role in shaping new services aimed at athletes navigating everything from college-level name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals to long-term wealth planning. As part of the broader push, the bank is also launching an Athlete Center of Excellence, staffed by advisors with experience in sports and finance.

Additionally, a new content hub will offer practical tools, including financial checklists and guidance on building a trusted advisory team, resources designed to address common pitfalls faced by athletes entering high-earning careers at a young age.

The move reflects growing competition among financial institutions to serve athletes, many of whom are increasingly expanding into business, media, and investment ventures.

For Wade, Wilson, and others involved, the goal is not just financial success, but sustainability. By sharing their own experiences, they hope to help future athletes avoid the mistakes that have derailed so many careers beyond the game.