The three former Premier League players have banked eye-watering sums of money
Becoming a Premier League footballer often means your financial concerns are over. As fans know, players are paid astronomical sums to play the game we love.
Even after retiring from the sport many ex-players head down the road of punditry, coaching or other business ventures, to highly lucrative ends. However, three players from Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have gone on, or will go on, to extraordinary wealth after hanging up their boots.
Mirror Football takes a look at three former Premier League players who have achieved eye-watering financial success away from football, going on to be billionaires.
Louis Saha
The French striker, now 47, played for United from 2004 to 2008. He enjoyed a hugely successful career at Old Trafford, winning two league titles, the Champions League and League Cup under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Saha’s company ‘AxisStars’ is now worth a stunning £4.3billion. The company, which was co-founded by Kate Hamer, is in charge of connecting relationships between “professional athletes and entertainers, their peers and trusted partners”.
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According to several sources, over 550 ex-athletes are connected with the firm. Saha admitted he gets inquiries from people asking for his advice and was candid in saying that starting up AxisStars has surpassed anything he’s done in his footballing career.
“I still get asked for advice by different people on a daily basis,” he once 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 programme. I put him in touch with people I used to work with.”
Saha scored 42 goals in 124 games, even though his time at United was blighted by injuries. By the time he hung up his boots in 2013 at the age of 35, Saha had played for Metz, Newcastle, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland and Lazio.
Mathieu Flamini
Former Arsenal midfielder Flamini founded GF Biochemicals nine years before his retirement. He became CEO later on and now has a reported net worth of around £10bn
He even took a more hands-on role following his retirement from football. Becoming CEO saw him take a 60% stake that cemented his status as one of the wealthiest men to ever play football.
GF Biochemicals aims to provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to petrochemicals, which would allow the manufacture of products without harming the environment. Flamini has previously explained his career change following retirement. “As a child I had two passions: football and sustainability,” he said.
The French star made 246 appearances in two spells for the Gunners, before leaving on a free transfer in 2017. The now 41-year-old had two spells at Arsenal. The first came between 2004 and 2008 and he later made a return to the Emirates Stadium in 2013.
During his time with the club, he won five trophies including three FA Cups and two Community Shields. Arsenal was not the only Premier League team he played for either, with the midfielder spending a short spell with Crystal Palace following his second exit from Arsenal.
Faiq Bolkiah
Ex-Chelsea youth player Bolkiah is the son of Prince Jefri Bolkiah and nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, who is reported to be worth around £37bn. Bolkiah is the heir to a £15 bn fortune meaning football icons such as Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Lionel Messi’s bank balances all pale in comparison.
Former Chelsea team-mate, Ruben Sammut, once claimed Bolkiah was as humble as they come. Previously speaking to The Athletic, Sammut said: “You would never ever have thought he was something like the 12th in line to the throne. You would not have thought of him as royalty.”
After spells with Chelsea and Southampton. Bolkiah later signed for Leicester City but despite being with the Foxes for four years, he never made a senior appearance.
After leaving the UK, Bolkiah played for Mariitimo in Portugal before moving to Thailand where he played for Chonburi FC and Ratchaburi. He has also earned six caps for Brunei.
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
