Joe McLean

Financial advisor specializing in professional athletes and managing partner at MAI Capital.

Claims

As speaker

Mentioned in

Key positions and views

Enforces a strict, non-negotiable, and escalating savings rate for professional athlete clients, starting at 60% of after-tax income and rising to 80-85% by the third contract.

Believes the primary financial risk for retired athletes is not poor investments but an unsustainable post-career lifestyle 'burn rate' of $3-4 million per year that depletes savings.

Argues that the modern financial advisor's value is no longer in providing access to public markets, but in providing curated access to private markets and managing lifelong cash flow.

Identifies a critical 'blind spot' for athlete investors in over-allocating to illiquid private deals without a full understanding of their value, risk, or liquidity profile.

Advises that young people should gain foundational skills and humility by working within an established organization before attempting to become entrepreneurs.

Podcast consensus on McLean

Points of consensus

▶Joe McLean's core financial strategy for athletes involves a strict, mandatory, and escalating savings rate, starting at 60% of after-tax earnings on a first contract and rising to 80-85% by a third contract.Jun 2026

▶A primary cause of bankruptcy for retired professional athletes is an unsustainable post-career 'burn rate' of $3-4 million annually, which can deplete savings of $10-20 million in as little as five years.Jun 2026

▶A significant 'blind spot' for modern athlete investors is over-allocating capital to illiquid private market deals without a proper understanding of the associated risks or the investment's true value.Jun 2026

▶The value proposition of financial advice has fundamentally shifted from providing access to public markets for retirement to a new model focused on providing curated access to private markets and managing lifelong cash flow.Jun 2026

Points of debate

▶The provided claims do not present any direct disagreements or contrasting perspectives regarding Joe McLean; all information originates from a single interview series with him and the podcast host.

▶While McLean's 60-85% savings requirement is presented as a core strategy, the claims lack any external perspective on its feasibility or adoption rate among athletes not under his advisement.Jun 2026

▶McLean's projection of a $1 billion career for a top NBA draft pick is presented without any alternative economic models or dissenting forecasts from other analysts within the provided claims.Jun 2026

▶The claims highlight the growth of MAI Capital to over $80 billion AUM post-acquisition, but do not offer a critical perspective on the challenges or client impacts of such rapid, acquisition-fueled expansion.

Key themes

▶The Mandate for Extreme SavingsJun 2026

McLean's core financial philosophy for athletes is built on a non-negotiable, escalating savings rate. He requires clients to save 60% of after-tax earnings from their first contract, increasing to 70% and then 80-85% on subsequent deals.

This disciplined approach directly counters the common narrative of athlete bankruptcy by tackling the root cause—cash flow management during peak earning years—rather than just focusing on investment returns.

▶The Shift from Public to Private MarketsJun 2026

McLean asserts that the value of financial advice has fundamentally changed. He argues the previous model was about providing access to public markets for retirement, whereas the new model must provide curated access to private markets and manage cash flow for an entire lifetime.

This reflects a broader industry trend where high-net-worth individuals seek alpha in less efficient private markets, but McLean specifically tailors it to the unique, compressed earning timeline of a professional athlete.

▶The Perils of Illiquidity and High Burn RatesJun 2026

McLean identifies two primary financial dangers for athletes: unsustainable post-career spending habits ($3-4 million annually) and a 'blind spot' for over-investing in illiquid private deals. He notes that even with $10-20 million saved, a high burn rate can deplete funds within five years.

This highlights that for his client base, wealth preservation and liquidity management are more critical challenges than wealth generation, a reversal of priorities for the average investor.

▶The New Economics of Athlete CompensationJun 2026

McLean provides specific figures on the evolving financial landscape for athletes, from NIL deals for college players (citing a $1.8M deal) to the potential for a top NBA pick to gross $1 billion in career contract earnings. He also quantifies the significant personal investment ($400k-$1M annually) top athletes make in their own health and training.

These data points suggest that the financial stakes and complexity for athletes are increasing exponentially, making specialized financial management not just a luxury but a necessity for long-term success.

Source episodes

Sentiment over time

Not enough data for timeline

Changes over time

Pre-Intersect Founding

While employed at Alliance Bernstein, Joe McLean proposed creating a comprehensive financial services division for athletes, but the proposal was not pursued by the firm.

Intersect Founding

Following the rejection of his proposal, McLean founded his own Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm, Intersect, to specialize in athlete financial management.

Intersect Growth Period

In less than seven years, McLean grew Intersect to manage $1.7 billion in assets for approximately 50 clients with a team of 11 people.

MAI Capital Acquisition

McLean's firm, Intersect, was acquired by MAI Capital. McLean's discourse now incorporates the history and scale of MAI, which grew from $12 billion to over $80 billion in AUM following a series of acquisitions including his firm.

Suggested prompts

How does Joe McLean's mandatory high-savings model impact an athlete's ability to pursue early-stage entrepreneurial ventures during their playing career? &nearr;What are the potential risks and benefits of McLean's emphasis on shifting athlete investment portfolios from liquid public assets towards curated private market deals? &nearr;To what extent is the projected $1 billion career earnings for an NBA player dependent on the league's media rights deals and the sustained 5% salary cap growth assumption? &nearr;How might the rise of multi-million dollar NIL deals, as cited by McLean, alter the financial discipline and career longevity of athletes entering professional leagues? &nearr;

Key concepts

Athlete Savings Rates 2 ep Private Market Investing 2 ep Post-Career Burn Rate 2 ep Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) 2 ep NBA Salary Cap Growth 2 ep Illiquid Investments 2 ep MAI Capital Growth 2 ep Athlete Health & Training Costs 2 ep Financial Advisor Value Proposition 2 ep Intersect (Firm) 2 ep

Notable quotes

“many athletes, sorry, retire with $10 million, $15 million, $20 million, but they have significant burn rates that are $3, $4 million. And so do the math, in 5 years it's gone.”

Joe McLean · NBA Finals Bonus: MAI Capital's Joe McLean on Being the NBA's 'Money Whisperer' | Masters in...

“if you're in the NBA and you're a draft pick today and you get to your fourth contract, assuming a 5% growth rate of the salary cap, you will have grossed $1 billion in contract value.”

Joe McLean · NBA Finals Bonus: MAI Capital's Joe McLean on Being the NBA's 'Money Whisperer' | At the Money

“Now the value proposition has flipped. It's access not to publics, but it's to privates and it's spending and income, not in your retirement, but in your entire life, for your entire life in terms of managing that lifestyle.”

Joe McLean · NBA Finals Bonus: MAI Capital's Joe McLean on Being the NBA's 'Money Whisperer' | Masters in...

“And then it's second deal, then it goes to 70%. Third deal, it's 80 to 85%.”

Joe McLean · NBA Finals Bonus: MAI Capital's Joe McLean on Being the NBA's 'Money Whisperer' | At the Money

Report last updated: Jun 10, 2026

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