Shohei Ohtani signed for $700 million and takes just $2 million a year in cash until 2034. His interpreter took $16,975,010 out of his bank account. Some of it bought Shohei Ohtani baseball cards. Ippei Mizuhara had been at his side since Ohtani arrived in America in 2018. Around November 2021 he got into Ohtani's account, changed its security settings and phoned the bank pretending to be him, 2 dozen times. The money went to an illegal bookmaker. In 2 years he placed about 19,000 wagers and ran up more than $40 million in debt. Prosecutors said he took almost half of everything Ohtani earned with the Angels. Ohtani found out at a clubhouse meeting after his first game as a Dodger. Days later he read a statement through a new interpreter. "Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has told lies." Before sentencing, Mizuhara wrote to the judge that he had been underpaid. His salary had gone from $85,000 to $500,000. Ohtani paid his rent, flew him first class and gave him a Porsche. The judge gave the letter no weight. In February 2025 he got 57 months. Ohtani had to ask a court to give him back his own baseball cards.