Celebrated French footballer Kylian Mbappé is showing no signs of slowing down the enlargement of his entrepreneurial ventures, having plunged into sports ownership in recent months. Purchasing the Ligue 2 side of Caen in mid-2024, the La Liga Real Madrid forward and France national team captain has now set his eyes on the France SailGP Team. In other words, Mbappe has just diversified his corporate profile, marking significant milestones in his burgeoning business portfolio.
In July 2024, Mbappe’s company, Interconnected Ventures, through its subsidiary investment firm Coalition Capital, acquired Oaktree Capital Management’s 80% stake in Stade Malherbe Caen (SM Caen) for a reported €15 million. The club’s supervisory board president, Pierre-Antoine Capton, reportedly holds the remaining 20%.
Made official in September, this acquisition made Mbappe the youngest individual ever to become a majority owner of a professional European soccer club, at the age of just 25. It also makes him the youngest active player to own a football club, possibly highlighting the Real Madrid superstar’s growing influence on the field and in the business side of football.
Mbappe’s relationship with Caen dates back to 2011, when the young “Donatello,” aged twelve to thirteen years old, participated in a youth tournament with the club. According to several sources, Caen’s relegation from Ligue 1 to Ligue 2 in 2012 threw the proverbial spanner in plans for him to join.
While his family reportedly agreed for him to join Caen, the club’s compromised resources, due to the relegation, prevented it from securing young talents. Mbappe joined AS Monaco’s academy instead, but the experience apparently left a lasting impression. Thirteen years later, with a net worth of around $90 million, Mbappé has achieved what might have been a long-held ambition by purchasing Caen, a homecoming of sorts.
Mbappe’s latest investment in SailGP demonstrates a business interest beyond football. The France SailGP Team is the country’s national team in the SailGP league – a global sailing competition featuring high-speed, 50-foot catamarans. While the exact percentage of his ownership isn’t yet clear, the deal includes his charity, ‘Inspired by KM’ (IBKM), becoming the official charity partner of the France SailGP Team.
Launched in 2020, Mbappe’s IBKM empowers and helps youths from diverse backgrounds to achieve their dreams using the tools of education, inclusivity, and personal development. The Ligue 1 Player of the Year’s investing in France SailGP strengthens the team financially, and elevates its international profile. What’s next, Mbappe?
In the spirit of the spending season, I say (rant, if you must) a certain Dutch football club should be the next target in Mbappé’s ambitious crosshairs. Yes, that one: the legendary AFC Ajax. He just needs to buy in first. Ajax is valued at around $413 million, and Kylian celebrates Christmas each year with approximately €71.67 million (around $78 million) in the bag. This doesn’t include the $20 million earned from endorsements every other year.
It’s not the numbers that excite me about this. Ajax is synonymous with player development and attacking football. Who does that remind you of? Donatello is one of the most dynamic attacking players in football today, and his IBKM charity is all about talent development. That’s just some of the many reasons Mbappe should bolster his growing business portfolio with Ajax.
Ajax’s world-renowned youth academy, De Toekomst (The Future), aligns with his vision of nurturing young talent and leaving a lasting legacy in football. Do I need to mention that Ajax is a smart investment? The club is famous for developing players and selling them at a premium. I mean, who buys soccer clubs and sailing league teams with no intent of leaving a lasting legacy in sports and making a ton of money while at it?
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