Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has revealed that his decision to spend his downtime as a footballer learning rather than relaxing helped him amass a vast fortune outside the sport. The 42-year-old co-founded green energy company GF Biochemicals in 2013 while playing for AC Milan, and the business is reportedly worth over £10 billion.
From football to business
Flamini, who signed for Arsenal from Marseille in 2004, won three FA Cups, featured in the 2006 Champions League final, and claimed the club's player of the year award across two spells with the Gunners. Despite his successful playing career, he refused to take it easy between training sessions and matches.
His passion for the environment was shaped in childhood, when he collected plastic on beaches with his father. That led him to study the subject during his time away from football, instead of shopping or gaming.
Learning and growing
“From a very young age, I had the opportunity to understand the negative impact humans have on the planet,” Flamini told L’Express. “I wanted to pursue this second passion alongside football. Having the chance to express myself off the pitch offers an escape, a way to clear my head.”
He added: “An athlete’s life revolves around training and matches, but also rest and recovery. That leaves time for naps; while some players might choose to play PlayStation or go shopping after a nap, I decided to take a different path, to learn and grow by helping to build this company.”
Skills from sport
Flamini admitted that his role as CEO of a company mass-producing levulinic acid did not come naturally, recalling that he disliked chemistry and English at school, both of which are now central to his work. “I had to educate myself, be extremely curious, and surround myself with the right people,” he said. “There’s a saying I like: if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
The former France international, who retired from football in 2020, believes his sporting career helped him in business. “An athlete is a bit like an entrepreneur or the CEO of a major company,” he said. “You have to know how to handle immense pressure and give your all every day. Then there’s the team spirit. I’ve never seen a company succeed with just one person; it’s about the group, the collective, the team spirit, you have to know how to communicate a mission and a vision so that everyone moves in the same direction.”
Reflecting on his career change, he added: “Now, I am living out my second passion and have a reason to live. I am someone who looks forward, not back. I am privileged. I was incredibly lucky to be able to make a living from a passion for so long, a childhood dream.”
