Contrary to popular belief, athletes not only make money through competitions, advertising campaigns but with wise investments too. Here are some of the ways that the world’s stars are using to increase their capital.

Social networking for streamers

David Beckham is a well-known personality in the world of football. He became famous for playing at Manchester United, Real Madrid and the England national team. Gamblers all over the world loved him and made bets at sites like Fanteam, which has a review here: https://bookmaker-ratings.com/review/fanteam-bookmaker-review-rules-support-sign-up-free-bets-site/, every time David came to take a free-kick. The goal was inevitable.

Apart from sports, he is involved in advertising, his own business, and investments. For example, every Beckham house was a good investment as an athlete sold it for more than it was worth when they bought it.

A significant investment by Beckham is the funding of MyEye startup. It is a social network for streamers. It was David who was among the first users. The soccer player regularly posted his videos. The former footballer invested £1m in the MyEye app in 2015.

Although Beckham is not the brand’s face, the mere fact that he uses the social network is actively attracting new users. All it takes is one announcement, and 4 million mobile app installs.

Digital projects

American basketball player Carmelo Anthony, an NBA star, Knicks forward, and two-time Olympic gold medallist with Team USA, created his venture capital fund, Melo7 Tech Partners, back in 2014. His business partner was a former NBA vice-president.

The basketball player decided to invest in digital media projects, and the first investment went into Hullabalu, a platform for children. The fund idea came about during training when the athlete tried out touchscreen gadgets to control the movement of basketball players. The technology was in limited supply and looked primitive: Carmelo wanted to improve and scale it up. He said he intended to be the first digital athlete, taking his personal brand to the next level. And he succeeded: as of 2020, Carmelo has invested $1.1 billion.

Another project that Carmelo’s fund is interested in was Lyft. The US taxi-calling service, Uber’s main competitor, has attracted 4.91 billion in private investment between 2012 and 2019. The company has risen seriously in the market during Uber’s reputational slump: Lyft’s customer share increased by 60% in a week in the US.

Wellness programs

Conor McGregor, one of the wealthiest fighters in the UFC, earns between $3m and $80m per fight. For example, a one-second fight with American Cerrone was worth $2 million (it lasted 40 seconds). McGregor invests earned money (his fortune is estimated at $120 million) into projects. The fighter is 33 years old, but he managed to open a whiskey business and other projects (opening gyms, producing clothes and sports outfits).

One of McGregor’s latest projects is health-improvement programs. The FAST training system is used as a training plan to achieve maximum speed and endurance. If you want to perform like McGregor, you should train similarly to him: this is the program’s message. The athlete’s health system is based on his training plan, which allowed the fighter to achieve the optimal physical shape for the rematch with Nate Diaz. The sportsman involved famous physicians and physiologists.

Mobile development

Robert Lewandowski is known not only for his sports achievements. First, he invested in a website about football. Then he invested in an online shop that aggregated information on Polish farmers. The site earned 15% from each purchase.

Robert Lewandowski was also interested in the mobile loyalty program. The system accumulates user points for visiting restaurants. Users can exchange the points for prizes, free meals, and discounts. According to Robert, he only invests in projects that interest him. He especially appreciates Polish developments. However, his main interest remains football, and he entrusts control of his projects to his partners.

Rising business stars

National Football League star Bobby Wagner invests in Silicon Valley startups. His first investment has returned quadrupled in size.

Wagner made his first investment two years after taking up football professionally. Investor Robert Nelson inspired him to lecture on financial knowledge for athletes. The specialist recommended investing in the biotechnological development of drugs for people with brain diseases. The footballer invested a five-figure sum that paid off four times over.

The athlete’s recent investment is in the Cultural Leadership Fund (CLF), founded by Andreessen Horowitz. The organization funds promising startups, with profits going to companies that develop access to the IT-sphere for African-Americans. Other areas in which Wagner has invested include the drone manufacturer Skydio and a medical data equipment company.