This man went from debt to financial prosperity thanks to simple autographs, including that of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
As explained by the MirrorPeter Johnson, a passionate autograph hunter, went from being £10,000 in debt to a hugely lucrative million-dollar business with his business idea. The name of the business? Firma Stella. It offers fans the chance to buy memorabilia, signed jerseys, photos and other sports-related items. “I was chasing autographs and collecting stuff to sell… I started travelling around the world hunting for stuff,” he told the Daily Mail.
But to hit the jackpot, you have to aim for the big names in sport, especially football. That’s what the businessman did by focusing on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. “Real Madrid were playing Manchester United and I found out about Ronaldo’s flight. I followed their bus from the airport to a hotel and quickly booked a room. I knew they were staying on the top floor and their team room was on the second floor. I saw the elevator was on the top floor, so I waited for it to come down. No kidding, the first elevator that opened… imagine it, Ronaldo is right there! So I jumped out and he said, ‘What is this?’ He signed some stuff and we went from there.”
Now the company offers items from £10 to £5,000. From football to MotoGP to basketball, the small business that started from scratch is now a pretty empire employing dozens of people.
The business around Cristiano Ronaldo is a real empire. If his performances on the field have perfectly helped the star of Portugal, the player has known how to create an image for himself by carefully choosing his advertising partners and investments. Nike has notably given him all its confidence by offering the player a lifetime contract. A very rare privilege that should earn him more than a billion over time. The player is also the face of major brands and has created his own brand of underwear.
The former Real Madrid player also has the Madeira airport in his name, which gives him visibility also to foreign tourists. The Portuguese player generates around 200 million euros per year, between salary, image rights, sponsorship and his various businesses.