Kevin O’Leary wore a $30M white gold NBA amulet to the Oscars, but his money advice is modest. How to invest like a star

Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.

Kevin O’Leary didn’t just walk the Oscars red carpet — he dazzled it. The Shark Tank investor, who appears in the movie Marty Supreme — which received nine Academy Award nominations — arrived wearing what looked like an ultra-luxury diamond necklace.

But look closer, and you’ll find something far more unique: The custom necklace was designed around the NBA “Triple Logoman” trading card, featuring game-worn patches from Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, along with 15 rings, representing the trio’s combined championships (1).

The price tag for his jewelry ensemble? An estimated ceiling of $30 million.

O’Leary had one end in sight: “When I walk that red carpet at the Oscars, grown men are going to weep (2).”

It’s the kind of flex that grabs attention — sparking the usual mix of awe and skepticism. But while the diamonds stole the spotlight, there’s a deeper financial story hiding beneath the shine, and a lesson for investors, too.

O’Leary’s necklace isn’t just jewelry — it’s a collectible asset disguised as fashion.

O’Leary’s Triple Logoman card is a one-of-one piece from Upper Deck’s 2004 Exquisite All-NBA Pass Collection. According to reports, the card has never been sold at auction, making its value largely driven by scarcity and demand (3).

And the way it’s presented matters just as much as the asset itself. The mint condition PSA 10-graded card is housed inside a bespoke Tiffany & Co. case — designed with roughly 2.2 pounds of white gold, set with diamonds and rubies, then attached to a chain (4).

This isn’t the first time O’Leary’s outfit has stolen the spotlight.

Earlier this year, he wore another high-value piece to the Screen Actors Guild Awards — a dual Logoman card featuring patches from Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, both signed and similarly encased by Tiffany.

These purchases weren’t made on a whim. They’re part of a pattern of investment.

In 2025, O’Leary teamed up with collectors Matthew Allen and Paul Warshaw to acquire that dual Logoman card for $12.9 million — breaking the previous record held by a 1952 Mickey Mantle card that sold for $12.6 million (5).

Read More: I’m almost 50 years old and don’t have retirement savings. Is it too late to catch up?

Read More: Non-millionaires can now invest in this $1B private real estate fund starting at just $10

Among ultra-high-net-worth investors, collectibles — from sports cards to paintings — are increasingly used to diversify away from traditional markets like stocks and real estate.

In fact, high-end sports cards have seen explosive growth in recent years, with rare, one-of-one pieces selling for millions and even appreciating significantly after purchase.

For investors like O’Leary, collectibles aren’t the foundation of wealth — they’re a strategic layer on top of an already diversified portfolio. Like alternative assets, collectibles as an investment are intended to store their value away from markets, providing some insulation if stocks and bonds tumble together.

But this investing philosophy goes far beyond collectible NBA cards.

In fact, ultra-high-net-worth individuals are adding another niche collectible to their growing portfolio of alternative assets

They’re putting more money behind it, too. Allocations to this specific asset rose to 20% in 2025 from 15% the year before, with those worth over $50 million boosting that share to 28%, according to research by UBS (6).

And despite typically being the domain of the wealthy, retail investors now have the chance to invest in this historic asset class.

The collectible asset in question? Post-war and contemporary art.

Until recently, this world was off limits to most retail investors. After all, finding a way to purchase a historically significant painting once relied on access to a complex network of curators, appraisers and galleries.

Now Masterworks has opened the door to investing in art for retail investors — with more than 70,000 users taking charge with art since 2019. Depending on availability, it’s possible to own fractional shares of works by artists such as Banksy, Basquiat and Picasso.

Masterworks has sold 27 artworks so far, yielding net annualized returns like 14.6%, 17.6%, and 17.8% among assets held for longer than a year.

Masterworks’ most recent sale highlights another trend — faster exits beyond the more typical medium-hold period. Just 17 days after buying an Elizabeth Peyton painting for $1.16 million, it sold for $1.5 million — netting a 22.9% return for investors quick enough to buy in.

If diversifying with art as an investment sounds intriguing, Moneywise readers can get priority access to invest with art and skip the waitlist to see what’s on offer.

Note that Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Investing involves risk. You can see important Regulation A disclosures at Masterworks.com/cd.

Collectibles are exciting, but can be highly volatile. Rare cards have sold for millions, driven by hype, nostalgia and superstar athletes. But it’s still a speculative asset class.

Even O’Leary’s $30 million piece is technically an estimate — because the card has never been sold publicly, making its true market value uncertain.

Their value comes down to one thing: what someone else is willing to pay. That’s why seasoned investors often balance these types of assets with more stable holdings — especially in uncertain economic or political environments.

According to O’Leary, one of those stabilizers a certain precious yellow metal, which he has described as a long-term wealth anchor he continues to buy.

For all the hype around sports cards and diamond-studded necklaces, Kevin O’Leary’s core strategy is a lot more grounded.

He’s been holding gold for decades — and hasn’t changed his stance.

“I’ve owned gold for over 30 years, about 5% of my portfolio,” he recently shared on LinkedIn, claiming that when systems fail, gold still does its job (7). He’s not alone in this belief, with financial gurus like Robert Kiyosaki of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame and ex-CEO of Bridgewater Associates Ray Dalio extoling golden virtues.

Their argument is simple: Assets like gold tend to hold their value when markets get shaky, acting as a potential hedge during trying times.

And lately, those uncertain times have been front and center.

As geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty picked up, gold surged to record highs earlier this year, briefly crossing $5,000 in January. Over the past year, gold has gained around 60%, making it one of the best-performing assets of the year (8).

But O’Leary’s gold strategy might be difficult to follow.

“I like to touch my gold, so I actually own the bullion,” he said during an interview with WIRED, “but when you own the bars, you have to pay for storage. You’re not gonna walk around and put it under your mattress, you gotta put ’em in a safety deposit vault and you pay for that (9).”

For those without a direct line to gold bars or coins, one option is to work with a broker or dealer.

You can open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold — combining the hedging properties of gold with the tax advantages of an IRA.

If you opt for their platinum package, you can get free account setup, storage, and insured shipping for up to five years. And if you ever want to sell your gold, they offer hassle-free and guaranteed buyback assurance without any added fees.

You can even request a free wealth preservation guide to learn more about how a gold IRA can help preserve your wealth.

The best part? you can get $10,000 in complimentary silver when you make a qualifying purchase. Just keep in mind that gold is often best used as one part of a well diversified portfolio.

If high-end NBA cards represent the flashier, high-upside side of O’Leary’s portfolio, assets like real estate sit at the opposite end of the spectrum.

One of O’Leary’s core investing rules is simple: own assets that pay you to hold them.

“Over the last 40 years, 71% of the market returns came from dividends, not capital appreciation,” he said during an interview with Forbes (10).

“So rule one for me is I’ll never own stuff that doesn’t pay a dividend. Ever,” he said.

That’s exactly why real estate can play such a key role.

Rental properties, for example, can generate steady monthly income while also benefiting from long-term appreciation. And because rents often rise alongside inflation, they can act as a built-in hedge when the cost of living climbs.

More importantly, that income doesn’t depend on market sentiment.

Even when asset prices fluctuate — whether it’s stocks or even collectibles like trading cards — rental income can continue to come in, giving investors a layer of stability.

But owning property the traditional way isn’t always realistic in today’s economy. Between mortgage payments, insurance and maintenance, the costs can stack up fast. And that’s before dealing with tenants or getting a 3 a.m. call about a burst pipe.

But that doesn’t mean missing out on real estate entirely.

Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived allow you to invest in shares of vacation and rental properties across the country with as little as $100.

To get started, simply browse through their selection of vetted properties, each picked for their potential appreciation and income generation.

Arrived distributes any rental income generated by properties to investors monthly, allowing you to potentially set up a passive income stream without doing any of the legwork.

The best part? For a limited time, when you open an account and add $1,000 or more, Arrived will credit your account with a 1% match.

Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.

Yahoo Finance (1); @Kevin O’Leary (2); Daily Mail (3); ESPN (4); NYTimes (5); The Art Basel & UBS (6); Kevin O’Leary (7); APMEX (8); Yahoo News (9); Forbes (10)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.