Federal prosecutors named Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce among 64 victims targeted in a $35 million Ponzi scheme.
A federal judge sentenced the scheme’s mastermind, 38-year-old investment adviser Siddharth Jawahar, to 11 years in prison after the undocumented immigrant pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud.
Siddharth Jawahar, Sentenced to 11 Years for $35M Ponzi Scheme: Travis Kelce Among Victims
Between 2016 and 2023, Jawahar ran Texas-based Swiftarc Capital LLC.
Despite raising tens of millions of dollars from elite athletes and wealthy clients, Jawahar invested only $10 million in the markets. About 99% of that money went into a single investment in Philip Morris Pakistan, which later lost much of its value. Federal prosecutors said he did not tell his clients about the losses and instead falsely claimed that their investments were making money.
As the investment lost value, Jawahar masked the losses by creating fake statements showing profits. The feds said he used money from new investors to make payments to earlier investors and fund a lavish lifestyle that included private jets, five-star hotels and extravagant spending.
Prosecution Says Jawahar Tried to Manipulate Witnesses in His Favor
Jawahar continued trying to influence the case after he was indicted. Federal prosecutors said he tried to obstruct justice by coaching one of his victims to give the FBI a statement that would help him. He also lied about his immigration status and financial situation. News reports said he asked his sister to wipe his iPhone to destroy potential evidence.
While the Swiftarc scam may be a setback for Kelce, it does not appear to threaten his finances. He continues to earn millions from his NFL salary and endorsement deals.
He also married pop star Taylor Swift in July, whose net worth is estimated at more than $2 billion.
The future Hall of Fame tight end is making $12 million for what might be his final season with the Chiefs. His pride is hurt, but his pockets are still solid.
Fans Wonder What Taylor Swift Said to Kelce About Losing Millions in Scam?
Social media had a ball with the fact that Kelce got swindled, with many wondering what his new wife thought about the mess.
“I’d pay money to hear the audio of Travis telling Taylor he got scammed out of a bunch of cash,” one fan commented.
“If you gave me 500 guesses on which NFL player would’ve gotten caught up in a Ponzi Scheme, I would’ve still had 499,” a user commented on X.
“Dude has all the money in the world being Taylor Swift’s husband… What a moron,” an NFL fan said.
“Reminder that Travis Kelce was one of the first white players to start kneeling during the national anthem along with Kaepernick. He’s never been the brightest,” expressed one netizen.
“He would believe that gift cards are a valid form of payment to federal government agencies,” another fan added, insulting Kelce’s IQ.
“Taylor Swift did not marry him for his brains,” another fan commented.
Patrick Mahomes Returns as Travis Kelce Moves to No. 2 All-Time in TE Receiving Yards
“Breaking… he got scammed out of pocket change that you couldn’t make in your entire life,” a Kelce fan replied to all of the negative comments about his loss in the fraud scheme.
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Silencing any offseason retirement speculation, Kelce kicked off the year with a major career milestone. He turned three receptions into 71 yards — highlighted by a 59-yard connection with Patrick Mahomes — to bring his career total to 13,067 receiving yards. The milestone performance vaulted him past Jason Witten into second place on the NFL’s all-time receiving chart for tight ends, trailing only Tony Gonzalez.
So even when Kelce takes a loss, he still has plenty going for him. Some fans were quick to call him “all brawn and no brains,” but his success tells a different story.
Kelce is also far from the only athlete or entertainer to get caught up in a Ponzi scheme or fraud. This loss is unlikely to keep him up at night.
