Mathieu Flamini, ex-OM midfielder, became a billionaire through green chemistry

Mathieu Flamini, former midfielder trained at Olympique de Marseille and who notably played for Arsenal and AC Milan, today boasts a fortune estimated at nearly €12 billion according to Forbes magazine, the fruit of a reconversion into green chemistry that began well before the end of his playing career.

It was during his time in Italy, between his two spells at the Gunners (2004-2008 then 2013-2016), that Flamini quietly prepared for life after football. Far from PlayStation and shopping trips with his teammates, he devoted his free time to learning. “After naps, some players prefer to play PlayStation, go shopping or take a walk. I decided to take a slightly different path: to learn and develop myself,” he confides.

This approach led him to co-found GFBiochemicals, a company specializing in the production of bio-based molecules designed to replace petroleum derivatives. A passion for the environment that he says he cultivated from an early age: “From a very young age, I had the opportunity to understand the negative impacts of humans on the planet. A passion that developed alongside my other passion, football.”

Holding a baccalauréat ES and having studied law, Flamini acknowledges the irony of his path. “Life is a paradox because at school, I didn’t much like two subjects: English and chemistry. And today, I speak 90% in English and find myself heading a green chemistry group.”

He who had left Olympique de Marseille in 2003 after just one season as a professional — his coach at the time, José Anigo, had spoken of a “beautiful betrayal” — continued his career until 2019 with Crystal Palace and then Getafe, before finally hanging up his boots. With only three caps for the French national team, his football achievements remain modest. His entrepreneurial success, however, far exceeds that of most of his former teammates.