Toluwani Lasisi
Big Brother Naija Season 11 winner Temi Nkem has expressed her desire, after taking home the ₦90 million grand prize, to venture directly into smart investments like real estate and entrepreneurship.
A great idea, many experts will say.
She has various investment options but, quickly, she can get some inspiration from the sports arena.
Here are five footballers who ventured into investing after making a fortune on the pitch:
1. Wilfred Ndidi — Lifestyle & Fashion Brand (DIIDS)
Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi recently proved that athletes don’t have to wait until retirement to start building businesses. The midfielder launched his own premium underwear and lifestyle brand, DIIDS, targeting everyday essential fashion.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo — Real Estate & Hotel Empire (CR7 Pestana)
Ronaldo is just as iconic in real estate as he is on the pitch. Partnering with the Pestana Hotel Group, he built a luxury boutique hotel network (CR7 Pestana) alongside a sprawling global property portfolio across Madrid, Lisbon, New York, and Riyadh.
3. Mathieu Flamini — Clean Energy & Biochemicals (GF Biochemicals)
The former Arsenal midfielder quietly invested millions during his playing career into GF Biochemicals, a company producing eco-friendly alternatives to petroleum-based products. Today, the business is valued at billions of dollars.
4. Gerard Piqué — Entertainment & Sports Media (Kosmos Holding)
The Barcelona legend didn’t wait to hang up his boots before founding Kosmos, a global sports and entertainment investment firm that revolutionized the Davis Cup and created the viral Kings League media tournament.
5. Asamoah Gyan — Diversified Local Business Portfolio
Ghanaian football legend Asamoah Gyan showed how to reinvest money back into local home markets. Reinvesting his earnings into real estate, event logistics, water production (Baby Jet Water), and transportation, he built a diversified local empire.
