How much money does Ippei Mizuhara make?

Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Ippei Mizuhara, the translator for Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, during an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Ippei Mizuhara was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers this week for allegedly stealing $4.5 million from Shohei Ohtani to pay off gambling debts. The development has led to plenty of questions — mostly about Ohtani’s knowledge of and role in the matter. The development has also led to another big question: how could Mizuhara even afford to rack up such a debt?

People have been wondering how much money Mizuhara is earning. After all, a bookie would only credit a gambler as much money as they think that person could pay back.

ESPN reported on Wednesday that Mizuhara confirmed to them that he has been paid between $300,000 and $500,000 annually since beginning his work in MLB in 2018.

Those figures tell us two things. One, Mizuhara was making much more than you might figure an interpreter would earn. Two, a person earning $300,000-$500,000 per year is very unlikely to qualify for a $4.5 million loan from a bank. However, the bookmakers correctly figured that Mizuhara would be able to make good on his debt.

Mizuhara initially claimed that Ohtani helped him pay his debt, but later changed his story to say that he stole the funds from Ohtani.

MLB announced on Friday that it has opened an investigation into the situation.