Former Formula 1 drivers Felipe Massa and Kevin Magnussen have joined forces with tennis champion Novak Djokovic in a new business venture involving French football.
Investments and new ventures
In recent years, it has become increasingly common to see celebrities and sports personalities pooling resources in investment funds aimed at acquiring stakes in promising businesses, with the hope of increasing their fortunes and influence. The latest example of this trend came in recent days, as Felipe Massa, Kevin Magnussen and Novak Djokovic teamed up with a Brazilian investment company that, last Friday, acquired a stake in Le Mans FC, a French football club currently competing in Ligue 2, the equivalent of Italy’s Serie B.
The project
Le Mans FC, a club with a long history in French football, recently secured promotion from the lower division — the Championnat National — and was chosen by the OutField investment fund with the objective of transforming it into “a constant presence in French professional football”.
The Brazilian company, which invested an undisclosed sum into the club, is headed by Georgios Frangulis, founder and CEO of the OakBerry food brand. Frangulis is a long-time friend of Felipe Massa and also his business partner in OakBerry.
The former Ferrari Formula 1 driver explained his decision to join the venture: “Le Mans FC has a strong link with motorsport and when my dear friend and OakBerry partner, Georgios Frangulis, presented the project to me, I immediately wanted to be part of it, especially together with people I deeply respect such as Djokovic and Magnussen, with whom I shared many years in F1.” Massa concluded: “It is a great opportunity because French football is attracting many investors.”
Leave a Reply