Track star and new Bolt pitchman Usain Bolt looks on during a press conference about the new Bolt Mobility scooter outside of New York City Hall, March 12, 2019 in New York City.
Electric scooters are still not street-legal in New York City, but transportation advocates and lobbyists are encouraging the push toward legalization and regulation. Bolt, a Miami-based startup, joins a crowded field of competitors in the United States, including Bird Scooters, Lime Scooters and Lift Scooters.
“So it’s been one year now; still have a fight to fight.” Usain Bolt promised in an Instagram post last year. No, it wasn’t about his legendary track battle. The retired athlete is long away from trying his feet in the professional track and field realm. However, his fresh fight was to get his retirement fund back.
In late 2022, he discovered that he had suffered a considerable loss of over $12.7 million in his account at the Jamaican private investment firm Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL). The revelation from the sprinter shook the entire Jamaican banking sector, leading the Jamaican government to initiate a formal inquiry into the extensive fraud scheme. But since then, Bolt has yet to have a positive update on the matter.
All this duration, however, Usain Bolt did not share any detailed look at the matter with the general populace. From time to time, he shared only a few cryptic posts through his social media handles. One such came on January 10, this year: “Twelve Million, Seven Hundred Fifty-Eight Thousand, One Hundred Eighty-One dollars and Seventy-Four Cents.” Obviously, it was about the amount of money he lost in the scam. But anything from his mouth would have added a certain perspective to the matter. Isn’t it? Well, the wait is over.
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On February 8, the Instagram handle of The Fix Productions shared a clip. The clip displayed Usain Bolt, revealing a bit about the financial scam issue. Those were a few words, though, but enough to make a buildup. Such as? In the clip, the eight-time Olympic champion said, “Now, at some point, I have to start saying something.
Now I have to be careful because now you’re looking at everybody sideways.” “Sideways,” how? Perhaps Bolt pointed his fingers at the Jamaican government bodies by that comment. Also, this could be the reason why he has always been measured in his words while speaking about the fraud issue. Example? Again, his cryptic social media posts.
One such came on X on October 2 last year. In the post, Bolt wrote, “Broken words not broken records [watch emoji].” The fans quickly spotted the meaning hidden in the wordplay. According to them, it was about the broken promises made by the Jamaican authorities to him to come to a positive solution. Since 2023, Jamaica’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) has been taking a key interest in the issue. The authority even took the reins of the kingpin of the fraud, Stock and Securities Limited (SSL), the Kingston-based investment firm.
But standing in February 2025, the former Olympian has yet to get his money back. In the shared clip, he shed light on that part, saying, “This happens to me; I’m gonna have two years and we can’t see back a dime.” Yes, arguably the greatest track and field athlete is a human after all. He also feels the pain in the same way as others. But the pertinent question is, is there any chance to come to a solution?
The government body still remains hopeful
Usain Bolt is not financially broken. The fund he lost was part of his retirement plan. Losing it worked as a ‘damper’ for him. But it doesn’t mean that he would settle himself in a corner, digesting the fraud that landed almost 200 individuals in far worse conditions. At first, he had faith in the authorities. Right now, it might be compromised. That’s why he wants to share his takes on everything publicly. However, what is FSC’s submission on the matter?
In September last year, Keron Burrell, executive director of FSC, shared a few things on the matter. In his interaction with Caribbean Life, Burrell displayed nothing but hope. He in fact, said, “The FSC remains resolute in its mission to facilitate the fair treatment of SSL investors. This vigilant oversight is crucial to ensuring that SSL meets its obligations to clients in a timely and transparent manner, in alignment with the legal and regulatory framework established by the Securities Act.
The commission assures all stakeholders that it is dedicated to maintaining transparency and accountability throughout this process and will provide further updates as necessary.” Guessing how Usain accepted those words is not difficult. Now, the eyes will be on the coming days in his further comments.
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