Former Chelsea and Brazil midfielder Oscar has revealed that he never spent a penny of the enormous salary he earned during his lucrative spell with Shanghai Port in China, choosing instead to live entirely off his match bonuses.
Speaking on John Obi Mikel’s OBI One Podcast, Oscar said he placed his entire salary into a separate bank account and never touched it throughout his time in the Chinese Super League.
“I put my entire salary into a separate account and never touched it once. My family and I lived off the match bonuses because they were already huge.”
Oscar joined Shanghai Port from Chelsea in 2017 in a then-record £60 million transfer. Reports estimated he earned between £150 million and £175 million during his seven-year stay in China, making him one of the world’s highest-paid footballers. During that period, he scored 77 goals, provided 142 assists in 248 appearances, and helped Shanghai Port win three Chinese Super League titles and a domestic cup.
The Brazilian explained that financial security for his family was the main reason behind accepting the move to China at the peak of his career. After leaving Shanghai, he returned to São Paulo FC, saying he had already achieved the financial stability he wanted before ending his playing career.
