Former Arsenal and France midfielder Mathieu Flamini has met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace after emerging as one of the world’s wealthiest former footballers through his work in the bioeconomy sector.
Flamini shared photos of the meeting on Instagram, revealing that he attended a summit with other global business leaders focused on advancing sustainable innovation and green industrial development.
In his post, he highlighted the urgency of strengthening Europe’s position in the global bioeconomy.
“His Majesty King Charles is stepping up for the bioeconomy. Europe is at a turning point. Act now, or fall behind. The U.S. is scaling. China is accelerating,” he wrote.
He warned that Europe’s industrial competitiveness, particularly in chemicals, is declining, and called for accelerated investment in green chemistry and biotechnology.
“Now is the moment for bold action in Biotech Act II: Create demand (30 per cent bio-based by 2030) and extend CBAM to chemicals,” he added.
Flamini also argued that Europe cannot compete with China on price but can lead through innovation and sustainability.
“Europe won’t win on price with China, but it can lead on innovation, sustainability, and responsibility. Strong leadership is here. Now it’s time to deliver,” he said.
The former midfielder, who is now a prominent entrepreneur and climate advocate, is co-founder and CEO of GF Biochemicals, a firm focused on developing environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil-based products. He is reportedly worth an estimated £10 billion.
Flamini’s company works on replacing petrochemicals with greener alternatives used across industrial manufacturing and production.
Since retiring from football in 2019, he has become increasingly active in environmental innovation, saying his passion for sustainability dates back to childhood: “As a child, I had two passions: football and sustainability.”
On the pitch, Flamini made 246 appearances across two spells at Arsenal, winning the FA Cup in 2005 and again in 2014 and 2015. He also played for AC Milan, where he won the Serie A title, as well as Crystal Palace and Spanish side Getafe before retiring.
He earned three caps for France and was named Arsenal Player of the Season in 2007–08.