In 2021, Nigerian-Greek NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo gained global attention after he guided the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years. The NBA star was drafted by the Bucks in 2013 after a stint with the Greek basketball team Filathlitikos.
He soon started to work on extending his influence to the business world after he became an NBA sensation. Today, he has several successful businesses, and Forbes estimates his net worth to be $87.6 million.
In 2020, he signed a five-year, $228 million supermax extension with the Bucks, with an opt-out after the fourth year, according to Forbes. The deal put him among the top 15 highest-paid athletes in the world. He also signed a mouthwatering brand deal with Nike. Additionally, Disney secured a deal in 2020 to develop a movie around his life.
He recently purchased a stake in the Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers. The purchase made him the first new individual investor added to the Brewers’ ownership group since Mark Attanasio purchased a controlling interest in the team back in 2005.
Antetokounmpo’s investment in sports is not limited to acquiring stakes in the Milwaukee Brewers. He also has shares in Nashville SC in Major League Soccer.
The NBA star has an ownership stake in Ready Nutrition, which is a brand dedicated to sports nutrition. According to CNBC, he put in six figures of his own money to receive ownership.
Antetokounmpo is also a mental health advocate. His work in this space led him to invest in a telehealth company in 2022.
The NBA star and his brother further invested in a Canadian-based candy distributor called Candy Funhouse.
Today, the NBA star is making his way into the venture capital field. He has launched a venture capital firm called Build Your Legacy Ventures that will focus on sports and entertainment investing.
The fund was “not just about capital; it’s about forging partnerships and opening my network to accelerate the growth trajectory for companies,” he said in a press release. “I want to help other entrepreneurs, especially those who have faced barriers, to grow and succeed.”
Antetokounmpo joins a growing list of athletes who have become venture capitalists. They include Serena Williams (Serena Ventures), Kevin Durant (35V) and Stephen Curry (Penny Jar Capital).
