Ashton Kutcher, a name associated with Hollywood, may surprise some with his history of successful sports betting. Best known for his roles in hit TV shows like “Two and a Half Men,” Kutcher has a knack for betting on college sports, all while demonstrating a business-minded approach. His business approach to sports betting defies the adrenaline-seeking stereotype often associated with activity.
While Kutcher’s filmography is undoubtedly impressive, some may say that his prowess in investing and betting might have even been on par with his Hollywood accomplishments. Kutcher approaches them with a business-minded strategy that has helped him amass a net worth of over $150 million.
Unlike the typical image of a sports bettor chasing the excitement of high-stakes wagers, Ashton Kutcher takes a more calculated approach. Kutcher doesn’t place bets on a whim; instead, he focuses on games where he can perform an extensive breakdown of data using algorithms.
It’s the precision of this data-driven analysis that captures the actor’s attention and sets him apart in the world of sports betting.
Rumors about Kutcher’s sports betting capacities were at their peak when he openly discussed his involvement in an interview with Esquire Magazine where he said, “I actually used to place bets for the largest national sports betting syndicate in America. I basically just placed bets for half a season, and we cleared like $750,000 in four weeks of college football. It was pretty fun!”
In the world of sports betting, particularly college football, the key is to identify numerical anomalies. Handicappers, or those who make predictions and set the odds for sports events, have the challenging task of handicapping a significant number of games each week.
College football, with its multitude of games happening simultaneously, offers ample opportunities for those who can spot these anomalies.
“In football, you’re basically looking for numerical anomalies. Handicappers have to handicap X number of games every week, which is why the sport — college football in particular — is really good for this because there’s such a broad array of games happening at one time,” he said.
Kutcher emphasized that handicappers can only accurately predict a limited number of games. The goal for sportsbooks is to maintain an equal number of players on both sides of a wager to collect the vigorish or “juice.” However, if you can identify an anomaly where the betting action becomes heavily weighted on one side, the line can move favorably in relation to the likely result of the game. As a result, the line’s margin of error needs to be adjusted.
Successful sports bettors like Kutcher leverage their knowledge of numerous data points, including how teams perform on different surfaces and in various weather conditions. It’s a complex task that requires an in-depth understanding of the game and its variables. However, those who can master this craft gain a significant statistical advantage over the sportsbooks. This is often discussed in various football blogs that focus on sports betting.
“You can gain probably a 40 percent statistical advantage on them,” Kutcher said. “It’s really complicated. You gotta know a lot of data points — how this team played on various surfaces, in different weather — a lot. But these guys could do it.”
Ashton Kutcher’s journey from Hollywood to the world of sports betting is remarkable, but it doesn’t end there. The actor-turned-investor is not only financially independent but also a respected figure in the tech world. In tech circles, he’s known as a savvy angel investor. Kutcher has placed successful bets on major consumer brands like Airbnb, Twitter, Foursquare, Uber, and Skype.
In the world of eSports, Kutcher’s venture into Seattle-based eSports betting platform Unikrn demonstrates his continued interest in the betting industry. Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood confirmed that Kutcher reached out to the company after reading about its innovative approach to eSports betting.
Ashton Kutcher has also been investing in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin since 2014, which his wife Mila Kunis revealed on The Late Night Show. On the Ellen DeGeneres show in 2018, Ashton revealed he has donated $4 million USD worth of XRP to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda.
