Arsenal star, Mesut Ozil has joined American venture capital fund Class 5 Global as a strategic adviser. This appointment marks the soccer star’s first foray outside sports and into a career in finance.
Ozil joins a growing list of sports stars like David Beckham, Serena Williams and Kevin Durant who are involved in the world of startup investments.
David Beckham and Serena Williams are also part of Class 5 Global’s start-up investment network.
Suggested read: Global VC Firm, Partech Doubles its Africa Fund to $143 Million, Establishes East Africa Presence
Looking beyond Soccer
Before now, Ozil, who is one of Arsenal’s biggest earners at £350,000-a-week, has been exiled at the north London club by current Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta.
The 32-year-old midfielder was left out of the Gunners’ 25-man Premier League and Europa League squads. It means that his career at Arsenal is effectively over as he will not play for the club until January at least.
Ozil’s contract expires at the end of the current season and the German is thinking about life after football with his new career in VC.
‘I am excited to shape and work on my post-football career while I am still actively playing football.’
Mesut Ozil
According to Class 5 Global’s, managing partner Youcef Oudjidane, Ozil will be giving advice on the future of consumer preferences at Class 5 Global.
Ozil was already an investor in Class 5 Global, having been introduced to the company by former Arsenal player Kieran Gibbs earlier in his career.
Class 5 Global helps online startups in emerging markets draw U.S. venture capital funding. Its top managers were previously founding members of Lumia Capital, the first U.S. investors in companies such as Careem and CargoX.
Class 5 Global has more than $100 million in assets under management.
Suggested read: How to File and Remit Value Added Tax (VAT) for Small Businesses and Startups
Despite his current situation at Arsenal, Ozil has revealed he is still playing football actively. He has already won Spain’s La Liga with Real Madrid, The English FA Cup with Arsenal, and a World Cup with Germany in 2014.
He retired from international competition in 2018 and is now looking at a future in finance and technology when he eventually hangs his boots.
Technext Newsletter
Get the best of Africa’s daily tech to your inbox – first thing every morning.
Join the community now!