In 2021, Nigerian-Greek NBA star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, made headlines when he guided the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years. He was first drafted by the Bucks with the 15th overall pick in 2013, following 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 under his sleeve, 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 has a mouthwatering brand deal with Nike. Additionally, Disney secured a deal in 2020 to develop a movie around his life.
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Highlighting his influence in the business world, here are five businesses the basketball star has a stake in.
Milwaukee Brewers
The superstar purchased a stake in Major League Baseball’s, Milwaukee Brewers. Mark Attanasio, Chairman and Principal Owner of the Brewers, introduced Antetokounmpo as a new member of the team’s ownership group in 2021, the club said in a statement. “We are honored to have Giannis join our team of Milwaukee Brewers’ investors,” Attanasio said. “Giannis is a great athlete, a world champion, and a true local hero with international renown.”
The purchase makes the two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) the first new individual investor added to the Brewers’ ownership group since Attanasio purchased a controlling interest in the team back in 2005.
Nashville SC
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.
Ready Nutrition
The NBA star has an ownership stake in a company called 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.
“This is not an endorsement deal,” Antetokounmpo told CNBC. “Obviously, I can help the brand and go out there and sell it to everybody, but this is not what this is. … this is a company I really believe in. I could go with Gatorade, I could go with BodyArmor, but at the end of the day, Ready was the right fit for me.”
Antidote Health
Antetokounmpo is a mental health advocate. His work in this space led him to invest in a telehealth company in 2022.
Explaining why he got involved in the startup company, he noted, “Affordable health care for all, no matter where you are from — race, circumstance, location,” he said. “Having access to affordable health care for all. It’s something that growing up we didn’t have, me and my family, obviously being an immigrant illegally in Greece we weren’t able to have that.”
Candy Funhouse
The NBA star and his brother invested in a Canadian-based candy distributor called Candy Funhouse. The investment was made in the first new venture after establishing the parent company of Ante, Inc.
