Former Man Utd teammate owns $5.6B company, 7 times richer than world's highest-paid athlete Ronaldo

(From L) Louis Saha, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo celebrate the 2005-2006 League Cup. Photo by Manchester United

After retiring in 2013, Saha founded AxisStars, a platform designed for former professional athletes, entertainers, and business elites. The company provides a space for athletes to share experiences and connect with industry professionals. To date, around 550 former athletes have joined.

"I still get asked for advice by different people on a daily basis," Saha told The Guardian. For instance, my agent called me to say he had a talented French footballer who he wants to bring to England, and asked me for advice on how to create a tailor-made training program. I put him in touch with people I used to work with.

"This kind of player could join Axis as he can then search for a personal coach in his region. It is a hard process but it's so rewarding, because if I can help 100,000 people, it's the best thing I've ever done."

According to Daily Mail, Saha's business worth has soared to $5.6 billion, significantly surpassing the estimated $780 million fortune of Ronaldo, the highest paid athlete the past two years.

Saha and Ronaldo played together at Manchester United from 2004 to 2008, winning the Champions League, two Premier League titles, and the League Cup.

His net worth is also more than double the $2.6 billion budget Manchester United has set aside for a new stadium, New Trafford. Club co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has ambitious plans to make it an iconic attraction, comparing it to the Eiffel Tower.

Saha is not the only former footballer to achieve billionaire status after retirement.

Fellow Frenchman Mathieu Flamini co-founded GF Biochemicals, the world's first company to mass-produce levulinic acid, a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based products. The company is now valued at over $27 billion.

Flamini has also contributed to sustainability efforts through Biocirce, Europe’s first master’s program focused on bioeconomic education and Bio Journal, the world’s first e-journal dedicated to ecological sustainability.

The former midfielder played for Marseille, Arsenal, AC Milan, and Crystal Palace, before retiring at Getafe in 2019. During his career, he won three FA Cups, a Serie A title, and reached the 2006 Champions League final.