Miami Mayor Francis Suarez says he’s sitting on major gains from his Bitcoin paychecks, telling Fox Business he’s “up 300%” since taking his salary in bitcoin.
“I got paid at $30,000,” Suarez said, noting that Bitcoin had even been up 400% when it hit $120,000 earlier this year. Despite recent market volatility — with Bitcoin slipping below $100,000 this week — Suarez said he isn’t worried about short-term price swings.
[The volatility of bitcoin] “really doesn’t bother me,” he told host Stuart Varney. “I’m more concerned with the macro impact of having a store of value that people have faith in, that has a money creation system known through the code.”
Suarez, who famously became one of the first U.S. politicians to take his pay in Bitcoin, said the focus should be on how decentralized finance and crypto are evolving alongside AI. “What’s more interesting is this evolution of where decentralized finance is going, where crypto is going, where AI is going,” he said.
Speaking at the American Business Forum in Miami, Suarez also highlighted the city’s rise as a financial hub. He said Miami’s pro-capitalist ethos stands in “diametric opposition” to cities like New York, predicting a surge in real estate and business interest as a result.
Back in 2021, Suarez said the city will soon give bitcoin to its citizens as part of a plan to build a full Bitcoin economy. Suarez said he envisions a future where “the Satoshi system” is used for payments, including city taxes.
He added that increasing Bitcoin’s utility will drive further value and adoption. Suarez also said he wants city employees paid in BTC and residents to pay fees in the cryptocurrency.
Miami’s current mayoral race is heading to a Dec. 9 runoff between Democrat Eileen Higgins and Republican Emilio Gonzalez. Suarez was term-limited, and couldn’t run for mayor again.
Celebrities getting paid in Bitcoin
Recently, NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. vindicated his decision to take his 2021 Los Angeles Rams salary in Bitcoin. Beckham had converted his $750,000 base salary to BTC through a Cash App deal when Bitcoin traded around $60,000.
Critics mocked the move as Bitcoin later crashed nearly 80%, but by July 2025, the asset had surged to record highs above $120,000.
“Safe to say we still happy with our decision,” Beckham posted on X as Bitcoin hit new all-time highs.
At $118,000 per BTC, his original payout was worth about $1.47 million — nearly double its 2021 value. Even after a combined 49.3% tax rate, Beckham would have taken home roughly $1.1 million, almost triple what he’d have earned in cash.
Other notable athletes who have taken their earnings in Bitcoin include Russell Okung, who received half of his $13 million Panthers salary in BTC, and Saquon Barkley, who opted to take $10 million in endorsements in Bitcoin.