Messi Convicted Of Tax Fraud – Why Did He Bother

Lionel Messi, Argentinian soccer start and arguably the best player in the world, and his father were both convicted of tax fraud by a Spanish court today. Messi was sentenced to 21 months but under Spanish law any term under two years can be spent on probation, meaning he will probably not do any jail time.  The case revolved around shell companies set up by his father to essentially hide nearly $5 million in income from Messi’s image rights from Spanish tax authorities. Can I ask what exactly people like this are thinking? Messi has reportedly made about $350 million over the past ten years. Surely that should be enough to make sure he and his family are set for life. Other than greed or the idea that the rules just don’t apply to them anymore, why would his father or he bother to try and hide a measly $5 million from tax authorities. It just defies understanding.