Arsenal fan favourite Mathieu Flamini is currently the chief executive of a biochemical company worth billions two decades after first joining the Gunners as a teenager.
Flamini, 40, cost the club just £400,000 in compensation after leaving Marseille in the summer of 2004, despite reputedly verbally agreeing to sign a professional contract with them. The midfielder made almost 250 appearances across two spells under the management of Arsene Wenger, but it was during his time away from north London that he set himself up for the future.
After quitting Arsenal for AC Milan, an engineer told Flamini about green chemistry and decided to get involved. That led to meeting Pasquale Granata, and together, they founded GFBiochemicals months after the three-time France international arrived in Italy.
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Fast-forward some 17 years, the company is now the world’s largest producer of levulinic acid at commercial scale directly from biomass and has an estimated net worth of at least £10billion. “I decided to build a company that would help end chemical pollution,” he told The Athletic 18 months ago.
However, he has previously pushed back on claims that he is a billionaire. "It’s important to put things right," Flamini said to L'Equipe during an interview in 2018.
"Contrary to what has been said, I don’t have €30billion in my bank account." Asked directly about being a billionaire, he replied: "Oh no, not at all."
Addressing claims he is worth more than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Flamini clarified: "At the time, I was a little surprised, obviously. But, when you’re a public figure, you learn to read between the lines and to look at what’s written about you with some perspective.
"But I have to say that this story makes me a bit sad because I didn’t get into this field because of the money. My main motivation was to have a positive impact on the environment."
