A former Arsenal star has etablished huge wealth since hanging up his boots
Mathieu Flamini was left heartbroken after he’d departed Arsenal for Crystal Palace before amassing a billion-pound fortune post-retirement.
The Gunners are Premier League champions again and will round off their title-winning campaign with a visit to Selhurst Park on Sunday. Flamini represented both clubs throughout a distinguished footballing career, swapping north London for south when he joined Palace in 2016.
Upon hanging up his boots, he moved into business full-time. Having founded GF Biochemicals, a green chemistry firm dedicated to developing sustainable alternatives to oil-based products back in 2008, Flamini now boasts a net worth of £10billion, more than 10 times the cost of Arsenal’s title-winning squad.
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Flamini first signed for Arsenal in July 2004, the summer following their Invincibles season, and spent four years under Arsene Wenger before departing for AC Milan. Once his contract with the Italian giants expired in 2013, he returned to the Emirates Stadium.
The midfielder’s second stint at the club lasted until 2016, when he joined Palace on a free transfer. That same season, the Eagles thrashed a struggling Arsenal 3-0. Flamini conceded it was difficult to see his former club in such disarray.
He said: “It is painful because I am still an Arsenal fan. But it is not an easy situation. I had some amazing times with Arsene Wenger. He did so much for myself.
“It is difficult for me to comment from the outside what is happening with Arsenal. Results are not what they want, that is for sure. I saw Arsene. Of course, everyone is disappointed. When you are a big club, you want to win every game, so that is normal.”
Flamini hung up his boots two years later following a brief stint with Spanish outfit Getafe and devoted his energy to GF Biochemicals. He had already bankrolled the firm’s extensive research and development for years during his playing career, but kept it under wraps from team-mates.
His company became the first to mass-produce levulinic acid, an environmentally friendly substitute for petroleum, and swiftly evolved into a multi-billion-pound success. The molecule his firm generates is regarded as a game-changer because it can slash the carbon footprint of ordinary household items by up to 80 per cent compared to conventional petroleum.
Flamini, the chief executive, retains a 60 per cent stake in the operation and consequently his wealth has soared to an estimated £10billion. That sum eclipses the estimated £780million the Gunners invested in assembling their title-winning squad.
Flamini told the Harvard Business Review: “Football is a team sport but performance remains individual. As a player, you are judged on your own results. As a business leader, your role changes completely: you become a coach. The team comes first, and you are judged by your team’s performance.
“Admittedly, I had to adapt, but there are many parallels between top-level sport and entrepreneurship: you need to know how to handle the pressure, be resilient, determined yet patient, and not be afraid of the workload or the sacrifices…
“We launched over 10 years ago, but our first product has only recently been brought to market. It is therefore a long-term investment that requires patience. Team spirit is also essential for overcoming difficulties. As a leader, you need to be a good listener while remaining clear about the vision and objectives.”
