Louis Saha’s success in business has helped him have a fortune worth seven times more than his former Man Utd teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo.
After retiring in 2013, Saha founded AxisStars, a community for former professional athletes, entertainers, elites and partners. The business encourages former athletes to share their experiences while competing. About 550 former athletes have joined.
“I still get a lot of consulting requests every day,” says Saha. “For example, an agent says there’s a talented French player who wants to come to England and asks me for advice on how to create a suitable training programme. Then I introduce him to people I’ve worked with. This type of player can join AxisStars, because they can find a personal trainer in their area. It’s a difficult process but it’s very rewarding. If I can help 100,000 people, that’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”
According to the Daily Mail, thanks to the strong development of AxisStars, Saha’s assets have increased to 5.6 billion USD, 7 times the 780 million of his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Saha and Ronaldo played together at Man Utd from 2004 to 2008, winning the Champions League, the League Cup and two Premier Leagues.
The former French striker’s fortune is more than double the $2.6 billion Man Utd are planning to spend on their new stadium, New Trafford. According to club co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, New Trafford will become an iconic tourist attraction like the Eiffel Tower.
Saha is not the first footballer to become a billionaire after retiring. Another Frenchman, Mathieu Flamini, co-founded GF Biochemicals, the world’s first company to mass-produce levulinic acid and is now worth more than $27 billion. The former Arsenal man’s ambition is to find sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based products. Levulinic acid can be used in plastics, solvents, fuels and the pharmaceutical industry, and has been identified by the US Department of Energy as one of 12 products that could help unlock a “greener” world.
Flamini also co-founded Biocirce, Europe’s first master’s program dedicated to promoting bioeconomic education, and Bio Journal, the world’s first e-journal dedicated to the world of biology and ecological sustainability.
Flamini played for Marseille, Arsenal, Milan and Crystal Palace, before retiring at Getafe in 2019. The former France midfielder won three FA Cups, one Serie A title and reached the 2006 Champions League final.
