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‘Some footballers play PlayStation, I chose to learn’ - How ex-Arsenal star built a billion-dollar business
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There are few footballers who have made an impact on the outside world quite like unassuming ex-Arsenal star Mathieu Flamini, who has built a billion-dollar business since retiring from the sport.
Flamini is a former French midfielder who played for Marseille, Arsenal, AC Milan and Crystal Palace. During his time at Arsenal, he won the FA Cup in 2005 and later returned to help the club win two more. At AC Milan, he won the Serie A title in 2011 and also earned three caps for France before retiring in 2019.
Even while still playing, he had an eye on what he would do when he finally hung up his boots.
He co-founded GF Biochemicals in 2013, a company specialising in sustainable chemistry. The company uses agricultural waste to produce chemicals based on levulinic acid. Its aim is to reduce the environmental impact of the chemical industry while providing alternatives to conventional petroleum-based ingredients
It seems Flamini knew he would go into business for himself after retiring, as he says that, while other footballers were content with playing video games after training, he sought to expand his knowledge.
“After naps, some players prefer playing PlayStation, going shopping or going for a walk. I chose a slightly different path: learning and developing myself," he told L'Equipe.
“From a very young age, I had the opportunity to understand the negative impact human beings could have on the planet. It was a passion that developed alongside my passion for football. At a certain point, I wanted to be able to express this second passion as well as playing football.”
A few years ago, viral reports emerged that Flamini was now worth $25 billion after a profile from Forbes. But he quickly debunked those rumours and confirmed that that number represented the sustainable chemistry industry as a whole.
But, GF Biochemicals are indeed part of that industry and he's undoubtedly an extremely wealthy individual, potentially worth a couple of billion according to L'Equipe.
And, this venture came despite him disliking chemistry in school.
“My life is a paradox because, at school, there were two subjects I didn't particularly like: English and chemistry," he revealed.
"And today, I speak English 90 per cent of the time and find myself at the head of a green chemistry group,."
In 2024, Flamini addressed rumours that he could use his fortune to buy his former club, Arsenal, from current majority shareholder Stan Kroenke.
"In life, you never know what the future holds," he told The Athletic.
"If the right opportunity comes at the right time, and I meet people with the same vision, I would love that.
"Football is the number one sport, it attracts so much attention. The big issues of this world should also be on the agenda of sports administrators."
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