Soccer is a sport where professional players get paid crazy amounts of money to last a lifetime. When someone asks you to name the richest soccer personality, you would probably say Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. But in reality, there is someone even richer than both of these superstars of the game.
It is Mathieu Flamini, whom many may recognize from his Arsenal days. The former soccer player has since retired and managed to become one of the richest men on the planet after some very smart moves, and he is now playing for change in the world.
Mathieu Flamini’s journey to becoming a billionaire
Mathieu Flamini is a former French soccer player who played for clubs like Marseille, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, AC Milan, and Getafe, though it is his spell in North London that is memorable. He retired in 2019 and has never been involved with soccer since then.
That is in large part because he used his saved money from his playing days to enter the world of business and entrepreneurship. He, along with another partner, decided to found a chemical company by the name of GF Biochemicals. They mainly produce levulinic acid and it’s derivatives, which Flamini’s company produces the most in the world. The huge demand for the valuable chemicals has made him a billionaire already.
According to Forbes in a 2020 report, Mathieu Flamini is currently worth a massive £10 billion. This makes him far richer than the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and other top-earning athletes combined. He is 40 times richer than Ronaldo, who is worth £615 million.
If he really wanted to, Flamini could outright buy any of his previous clubs, including Arsenal, an idea he even previously flirted with. He was even in the stadium to watch his former team beat Liverpool 3-1.
Mathieu Flamini pleads to the game for change
But it does not seem Flamini is interested in soccer anymore, as he now serves a more noble purpose. One of the useful uses of his company’s product is that it is a sustainable alternative to oil in many products. Flamini is even passionate about this, as he believes that everyone should do more for the planet by battling climate change.
In a recent interview, he said that soccer should do more in the fight against climate change. “Football is one of the last industries which still manages to unite people from different backgrounds and religions, so the platform of football is huge.”
🗣️ "I think athletes have a social responsibility because they have such a large platform"
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) February 6, 2024
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini tells Mirror Football about his passion for sustainability 🌾https://t.co/x4pkKNIw2N pic.twitter.com/ZkAVE2MoaO
“We have to protect the next generation and the game we love. In China and India people are not able to train outside anymore because of the pollution.”
Flamini is currently on the environmental committee for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he has worked hard to reduce the impact of fossil fuels on the planet. He has urged FIFA and other global soccer governing bodies to do more as well.
The ex-Gunner star also asked players to speak up, highlighting Mesut Ozil and Marcus Rashford for fighting for social issues and Hector Bellerin for raising awareness about sustainability.
Mathieu Flamini may have made it big in his life, but that is not stopping him for fighting for causes bigger than him.
