Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has revealed how he transformed from a Premier League runner-up into a billionaire entrepreneur. The 42-year-old Frenchman, who made 246 appearances for the Gunners across two spells, retired from football in 2019 after stints at Crystal Palace and Getafe. He is now worth an estimated £10 billion, according to Forbes, thanks to his ownership of more than half of GF Biochemicals.
Flamini co-founded GF Biochemicals with Pasquale Granata shortly after leaving Arsenal for AC Milan. The company produces levulinic acid, a molecule identified by the US Department of Energy as one of 12 key molecules for a greener future. Derived from agricultural waste, it can replace petroleum-based ingredients in cosmetics, cleaning products, paints and solvents, aiming to reduce chemical pollution.
In an interview with Harvard Business Review, Flamini explained his shift from football to chemistry. 'Football was a childhood dream but the environment has always played an important role in my life,' he said. 'When I joined AC Milan at 24, many of my team-mates were already involved in other ventures, which led me to start thinking about entrepreneurship.' He added that encounters and opportunities steered him towards the chemical sector, where he saw a real opportunity to develop levulinic acid on an industrial scale.
Flamini, who won the FA Cup three times and Serie A with Milan, narrowly missed out on two Premier League titles with Arsenal, finishing runner-up in 2004/05 and 2015/16. He has lodged more than 200 patent applications over the past decade and recently completed a leadership programme at Harvard Business School. 'As I didn't come from the chemical industry, I lacked the background to assess the technical aspects,' he said. 'It was essential to surround myself with specialists I trusted.'
