Source: BroBible
Summary
Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, claims that Ohtani’s “lifestyle” led to his stealing and gambling. Mizuhara, who was sentenced to 57 months in prison for bank fraud and filing a false tax return, said he had to keep up with Ohtani’s lifestyle and was in debt. He also claimed that Ohtani knew about the money transfers, but Ohtani denies this and was cleared of any wrongdoing by federal investigators and Major League Baseball.
Our Reading
The habit gets a new name.
Ippei Mizuhara’s financial struggles were apparently a result of trying to keep up with Shohei Ohtani’s lifestyle. He made $85,000 per year as Ohtani’s interpreter, but still had to take on debt. The “lifestyle” in question seems to involve expensive tastes and a need for frequent money transfers. Mizuhara’s attempts to keep up with Ohtani’s spending habits ultimately led to his downfall. The “lifestyle” that Mizuhara couldn’t afford has become a familiar excuse for his own financial mismanagement. “Keeping up with the Shohei” is just a fancy way of saying “I made poor financial decisions”.
Author: Evan Null
