Charles Barkley Explains Why He Has No Interest In a Private Jet

With a net worth of around $70 million, Charles Barkley is certainly among the privileged few who can afford the luxuries of wealthy living. Even so, he tends to stay away from private jets — for one very particular reason. 

“Hell no!" screamed Chuck when asked on the Dan Patrick Show about owning a private jet. “You know how expensive those things are? Dude, every time one of those bad boys takes off, it’s like 25 thousand dollars. One way. That’s crazy. I’ve done it before.”

As a businessman and frequent television personality, Barkley has more funds than ever to spend on these things but he is determined to be smart with his money to avoid going broke like he was after his first agent stole his money a few years into the league.

“I don’t wanna be broke again. I was broke growing up… and in all fairness, I was broke after the first four years in the league because my first agent stole all my money. If I ever see him again, I’m gonna beat him to a pulp. He never apologized,” said Barkley.

Barkley was able to recover financially due to a stellar career, but he will never forget where he came from and how much it took for him to create a better life for himself and his family.

Unlike many players, Barkley did not grow up in wealth and he had to earn his way to the top. Now that he’s made it, he’s not about to blow it all on something as expensive and unnecessary as a private jet.

For even the richest of people, one can imagine how the flights would start to add up after a while. A few trips out of town could easily surpass $100,000 and that’s just on the travel alone. These days, players are much more inclined to either fly commercial or just stick to traveling with the team.

Rich Paul Reveals The Truth About Private Flights

There's a certain stigma when it comes to professional athletes and their methods of travel. On social media, you often see them go out of their way to show off their private jets or other exclusive personal vehicles.

While NBA players make a lot of money when compared to other athletes, only a select few can afford to take their private jets around regularly. Even NBA super-agent Rich Paul flies with Delta, and he says it’s something most players should be doing.

“No athlete can afford to fly private all the time," Paul added. "I fly Delta, I cannot afford to fly private. I’m just trying to get where I’m trying to go to make the money. I am not trying to spend the money, I am trying to get there.”

When you're used to living a life of luxury and privilege, it can be hard to keep up when your source of income dries up. For many players, that explains why it’s such a big financial hurdle to stay afloat after retirement.

However, as veterans like Barkley and Paul have shown us, you can never be too rich to be smart with your money. And when it comes to private jets, all of the smart ones know to stay away.