Editor-In-Chief with 20 years experience covering the betting angles to breaking news stories. Daily slots player, Portsmouth fan and League Snooker Player
Footballers' earnings have continued to increase to astronomical levels, with player contracts and ever more lucrative sponsorship deals being signed every year. TV revenue for clubs, particularly in the Premier League, continues to rise every year, coupled with fifteen out of the twenty clubs being owned by billionaires, meaning it is only likely to keep going up.
However, despite being paid these huge sums of money throughout their careers, some footballers have managed to use their income to create even bigger fortunes through various different business ventures. Here, we run through ten footballers who you might not have known are making a huge profit from their various businesses, including income from casinos and other activity connected to the UK betting industry.
Here’s the full list of former and current players making a splash in the business world…
| Player | Net worth ($) | Net worth (£) | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathieu Flamini | $14,000,000,000 | £12,320,000,000 | GF Biochemicals |
| Louis Saha | $4,900,000,000 | £4,312,000,000 | Axis Stars |
| David Beckham | $450,000,000 | £370,000,000 | Beckham Brand Holdings, Inter Miami CF |
| Martin Braithwaite | $287,433,216 | £252,941,230 | NYCE Companies |
| Andres Iniesta | $120,000,000 | £105,600,000 | FirstVision |
| Thomas Graversen | $100,000,000 | £88,000,000 | Poker and Investment |
| Gerard Pique | $80,000,000 | £70,400,000 | Kosmos |
| Rio Ferdinand | $75,000,000 | £66,000,000 | FIVE Brand, Property Investments |
| Michael Owen | $68,000,000 | £59,840,000 | One to Eleven Limited |
| Robbie Fowler | $50,000,000 | £44,000,000 | Robbie Fowler Sports Promotions Limited |
Image: joshjdss, CC BY 2.0 /Wikimedia Commons
Mathieu Flamini
The former Arsenal fan favourite Mathieu Flamini has had quite an extraordinary career off the pitch co-founding GF Biochemicals with business partner Pasquale Granata back in 2008. Since then the company has grown exponentially and is now reportedly worth a staggering $28 billion, making Flamini the richest former footballer in the world.
However, there is something of a caveat when it comes to the wealth of the former Arsenal midfielder and although he has seemingly struck it rich when it comes to his biochemical business, the figure quoted above is not all personal wealth. According to the ex-Gunner, his own personal wealth is closer to $20 million. Then again, even with that level of wealth, I doubt Flamini will be having too many complaints.
Image: Austin Osuide/Wikimedia Commons
Louis Saha
Former Manchester United, Fulham and Everton hitman Louis Saha has somewhat gone under the radar with his success off the pitch. The France striker founded his company Axis Stars shortly after his retirement with the aim of providing a ‘Safe Environment, specifically for Pro-Athletes & Entertainers, combining trusted resources in one simple app’. With over 550 ex-pro athletes on the books, multiple sources report its worth to be just under $5 billion.
Image Credit: Andrea Raffin//shutterstock
David Beckham
Finding himself third on the list of highest off-the-field earners is 'Goldenballs' himself David Beckham. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has turned from icon on the field, to owner off the field and with him playing a leading role in the running of MLS franchise Inter Miami, that coupled with his Beckham Brand Holdings earnings means the ex-England captain has a personal wealth of $450 million.
Image: Christian Bertrand/shutterstock
Martin Braithwaite
Danish forward Martin Braithwaite is one of a few still playing on this list, moving to Espanyol at the start of this season after having his contract terminated by Barcelona. While his career on the pitch has been far from spectacular, earnings off the pitch are a different story altogether. Braithwaite is making big bucks in the property sector, holding a partnership stake in NYCE Companies, which has resulted in a personal fortune of over $287 million.
Image: ph.FAB /shutterstock
Andres Iniesta
The Spanish midfield maestro might just be the most successful footballer on this list, winning countless trophies during an amazing career. But he has shown business savvy off the pitch, taking ownership of his family's winery Bodega Iniesta which he inherited from his father. He has also invested in a company called FirstVision which aims to revolutionise sports broadcasting by introducing cameras on the players’ shirts, giving spectators a first-person point of view.
Best of the Rest
Image: fotmob
Thomas Graversen
Former Everton and Real Madrid midfielder Graversen is somewhat of an outlier in this list, due to the fact his reported fortune of $100 million was earned over an eight-year period playing poker in US Casinos. He also made some shrewd investments along the way in bars and restaurants and now lives a life most can only dream of on ‘Millionaire’s row’ next to Tennis legend Andre Agassi and Hollywood star Nicolas Cage.
Gerard Pique
Another former La Liga star, Barcelona great Gerard Pique has earned plenty on the pitch, however, he is also the co-founder of Kosmos, a production company focusing on sports media specifically.
Former Premier League Stars
While former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has amassed a wealth of $75 million thanks to a combination of property investments and his own personal FIVE brand.
2001 Ballon D’or winner Michael Owen has amassed a fortune of $68 million in connection to horse racing. He owns Manor House Stables - a training ground for racehorses.
His former teammate Robbie Fowler made it big in the property game, building up an impressive portfolio over the years since his retirement. Fowler was so successful in fact, he now runs seminars on investing and turning a profit when buying property.
Honourable Mentions Just Outside The Top 10
David Villa has been extremely busy since his retirement, joining asset management company KraneShares. They have since founded a new football team Queensboro FC in the USA which made its debut in the USL Championship this year.
Former Chelsea and Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand completed the list, founding a fintech brokerage firm called Silicon Markets back in 2015 with some of his friends. The company is aiming to ‘revolutionize retail trading’ as the former Champions League winner now makes a profitable transition to life away from the field of play.
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