The Premier League is a game of multi-millionaires and some go on to make a fortune when they leave the field – but none more so than one former Arsenal legend who set up a company worth 45 times more than David Beckham.
Mathieu Flamini played for the North London side from 2004 until 2008, before returning to the Gunners once again from 2013 until 2016.
A fan favourite, Frenchman Flamini once said Arsenal “will be in my heart for ever”, but during his playing career the talented midfielder also developed a love for investing in new technology and business.
Now aged 40, Flamini is said to be personally worth more than £10 billion after he helped co-found the firm GF Biochemicals which pioneered the use of plant waste chemical levulinic acid in the making of plastics.
Today GF Biochemicals is valued at a staggering £21 billion, according to givemesport.com
David Beckham, arguably Britain’s most famous footballer of recent years both on and off the pitch, once played alongside Flamini when the pair were both at AC Milan in Italy.
But despite multiple lucrative ventures in US sport, fragrances, licensing deals, fashion and media, Beckham has reportedly not hit the astronomic heights of Flamini in terms of personal wealth.
According to The Sun, both David and his wife Victoria were said to be worth around £450 million at the start of 2024.
Flamini’s foray into industry and billionaire-dom appears to be linked to a passion he had as a child for the environment. His company’s product levulinic acid is used to reduce CO2 in the making of pharmaceuticals, plastics, cosmetics and other items.
In an interview with Sifted, he said: “As a child, I had two passions: football and sustainability.
“I grew up in Marseilles near the sea, and was aware of the environmental questions around ocean plastics and chemical pollution from a very young age.”
And speaking about metamorphosising from a footballer to a businessman, Flamini added: “When you’re a footballer and you’re in a meeting talking about chemicals or sustainability, there is even more pressure on you.
“People really want to test you and see if you’re going to be able to deliver, because you’re not a businessman. I had to prove myself more than anyone else in the room…I took it as a challenge.”
