A four-time Mr. Olympia champion with multiple elite titles to his name, Jay Cutler stood for one of the most defined physiques of bodybuilding’s golden era. Unlike many of his peers, however, Cutler approached the sport with a clear exit strategy. He never intended to linger indefinitely at the top.

As he explains it, “So I was like, ‘Okay, I can get in and out of this thing, retire in my early 30s, win a few Olympias, and move on.’”

Recently, Cutler sat down with Sir Kyle Wilkes and Andrew Berry for a candid conversation about his career. While reflecting on his peak years, the four-time Mr. Olympia revealed that he never intended to stay in the sport for long in the first place.

“And, you know, what people don’t realize is that I had a million other business ventures going on. I moved to Vegas for the real estate stuff, and I was wildly successful in that. I was building—like, I had planned to build businesses. I eventually launched my own brand,” revealed Cutler.

Jay Cutler was never dependent on prize money, even though he won at least $1 million over the course of his career. The four-time Mr. Olympia was actively generating additional income through real estate investments and the stock market. In addition, he was among the first bodybuilders to produce and sell training videos through his own website and fitness magazines.

Apart from that, he had exclusive deals with big brands as well: “I was with MuscleTech at the time, and I had an amazing contract with them, plus 12 other partnerships that I still, to this day, have equity in and other interests.”

He further added, “So for me, financially, that was never the game. It was never about, “Oh, I’ve got to make money from bodybuilding,” because I had so many things going on outside of bodybuilding that weren’t directly related to it.”

Cutler Nutrition, Cutler Apparel, Four Crown Apparel, social media content, Jay’s Pet Butter, the Swole Monkey line, the Pig Head line, and more, Jay Cutler has successfully built an entire brand around himself. And, guess what, he has even appeared on Shark Tank.

Jay Cutler’s appearance on Shark Tank

Last year, in Shark Tank Season 15, Episode 12, Jay Cutler made a surprise appearance. The four-time Mr. Olympia was seeking a $50,000 investment for 10% equity in his new venture, Jay’s Pet Butter, a peanut butter product formulated for pets.

Cutler and his partner, Brandan Fokken, explained the unique selling points of their pet-friendly peanut butter to the Sharks. The pitch was good, but the Sharks were not really impressed by the idea.

Mark Cuban bowed out, citing concerns about popularity.
Lori Greiner and Daniel Lubetzky declined as well. Daymond John also opted out, suggesting that the duo did not need a Shark.

Kevin O’Leary, however, made an offer. He proposed a $50,000 investment in exchange for a $1 royalty on every jar of Jay’s Pet Butter sold, in perpetuity. Cutler and Fokken, however, respectfully declined the offer.

Were you aware of any of Cutler's businesses? Tell us in the comments if we missed any you like!

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Joyita Das