Some footballers accumulate generational wealth after their careers, like Thomas Gravesen, who made millions in Vegas. The former Everton and Real Madrid man had a respectable career before doing eye-catching things in retirement. Others have also found post-career success, like Mathieu Flamini who invested in the biochemical sector.
Several players in football have gone on to accumulate generational wealth. Some have achieved it through their playing days, with the likes of Oscar coming to mind, who has spent seven years in China taking home around £24m a year , signing a new deal months before the Chinese FA imposed a salary cap. Some, in fewer cases, have been born into wealth, such as former Chelsea and Leicester City academy winger Faiq Bolikiah, a member of the Brunei royal family, who has an estimated net worth of around £20b , with the next highest in the world being one Cristiano Ronaldo , who is worth a paltry-in-comparison £908m.
Several more have made a fortune in their post-playing lives. Sun Jihai, the first ever Chinese player and goalscorer in Premier League history, oversees HaiQui Sports, which boasts over 400 million users in China. Former Nottingham Forest striker Dexter Blackstock went on to develop a medical blockchain outlet, helping to prevent prescription medicine abuse, as well as investing smartly in property with a portfolio worth around £5m.
One player, however, made his wealth in a far, far more risky fashion. Enter Thomas Gravesen, the colourful character known for his spells with Everton – where he played alongside a young Wayne Rooney – and Celtic, as well as a bizarre move to Real Madrid in their Galacticos era, as he shared the pitch with club icons such as Iker Casillas, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo . The Dane hung his boots up early, aged 32, and went on to make his fortune in Sin City, turning himself into a professional poker player and investor, swelling his net worth to over £100m .
Here is his story. Thomas Gravesen's Great Gains While it is a career path that comes with plenty of risk, Gravesen certainly made himself a comfortable man during his time in America. After meeting Czech-born model and real estate agent Kamila Persse, his relationship with her took him to Las Vegas, where he would go on to swell his value with several shrewd investments.
After making a fortune for himself and surrounding himself in deserved luxury, including a $1.125m home in an exclusive neighbourhood and a £400k sports car, he turned his wealth toward the poker table, becoming a professional poker player in Vegas' high-roller tables, where he reportedly found success and grew his wealth further. Everton could sack Sean Dyche in weeks, and they are eyeing "one of the best" to replace him.
As Gravesen earned himself a seat among the Vegas elite, his profile was able to be kept lower in Sin City than it ever was in Europe, with the Dane relishing his time out in public without the haggle of being recognised. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Gravesen played in 29 matches alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid, averaging 1.86 points per game.
Eventually, after splitting with Persse, Gravesen made his way back to his home country, residing in a luxury penthouse that he purchased for £1.6m in the exclusive property "The White Facet" in his hometown of Vejle. Despite his wealth, Gravesen no longer lives a secretive and luxurious life in Vegas.
For the past few years, he has been working as a pundit for Discovery, giving his expert opinion on Premier League matches and the Danish national team. What a post-playing life that is. Post-Career Wealth Gravesen is not the only one who enjoyed further riches after the conclusion of their playing days.
One of the more notorious examples is that of Mathieu Flamini, formerly of Arsenal , Crystal Palace , AC Milan and Getafe, from whom he earned some very good money. With his football money, he turned his riches up a few notches with excellent success in the biochemical industry. Together with business partner Pasquale Granata, Flamini built up GF Biochemicals to become a leader in its sector.
Mathieu Flamini is now a very rich man due the success of his biochemical company, 'GF Biochemicals'. The company is a high-volume producer of Levulinic acid - a sustainable fuel created from waste created in the production of plastic - and the company is now worth an estimated £21bn . While Flamini alone, as a key force behind the successful business, is believed to have wealth of £11.
6bn, and as such he and his family are set for generations to come. Another example could be that of Robbie Fowler, who grew his 80-strong property portfolio into an empire worth over £30m, or another former Liverpool man in Michael Owen, who got into the world of horse-racing to the monetary tune of over £36m. Though footballers are known, in the modern era, for their exuberant wages and flashy lifestyles, some players show that there is even more wealth to come when the boots meet the hook.
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