Flamini's incredible journey to riches

Mathieu Flamini owns a company valued at tens of billions of euros.

Flamini began his football career at Marseille, before joining Arsenal in 2004. He was part of the squad that took the Gunners to the 2005/06 Champions League final, before moving to AC Milan, where he won the Serie A title in 2011.

However, while his football career was at its peak, Flamini secretly nurtured a bigger ambition. In 2008, while playing for AC Milan, he met Pasquale Granata, an Italian businessman who shared his environmental concerns.

The two quickly found common ground and decided to start a business together. Flamini's business idea focused on levulinic acid - a chemical compound that could replace petroleum fuel, promising a sustainable solution for the planet.

Together with Granata, he founded GF Biochemicals, the first company in the world to produce levulinic acid on an industrial scale. To achieve this breakthrough, they collaborated with the University of Pisa and the Polytechnic University of Milan, funding research and development of advanced technology.

The result of that perseverance has helped GF Biochemicals become a leader in the biochemistry industry, opening up a potential market worth tens of billions of euros. Unlike many of his colleagues who chose to enjoy a lavish life after retirement, Flamini devoted himself to his company, working hard with a larger goal in mind: protecting the environment.

He once shared with L'Equipe that his main motivation is not only money, but also the desire to create a positive impact on the world.

Flamini and partner Pasquale Granata at a promotional event.

As of March 2025, GF Biochemicals maintains its leading position in this field, with its main plant located in Caserta (Italy). In addition, the company also expands its product applications to industries such as cosmetics, biodegradable plastics and pharmaceuticals.

Flamini has previously dismissed the 30 billion euro valuation of GF Biochemicals reported by the press, explaining that it was the market potential rather than the actual value of the business. However, Bloomberg experts estimate that GF Biochemicals is being valued at at least 25 billion euros by early 2025, thanks to the boom in demand for green solutions.

As a result, the success of GF Biochemicals has put Flamini on the list of the richest former footballers, with an estimated fortune of 11 billion euros according to Forbes - based on his 60% stake in GF Biochemicals.

This figure helps Flamini own assets far beyond Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, of course in case he accepts to sell these shares. With what he is doing, Flamini becomes one of the football players with the most successful business career after retirement.

Flamini's journey from his playing days to building a multi-billion euro biochemistry company is inspiring, reflecting a vision far beyond the limits of ordinary sportsmen.

Source: https://znews.vn/hanh-trinh-lam-giau-dang-kinh-ngac-cua-flamini-post1542500.html