Mathieu Flamini, a former Arsenal and France international, recently met King Charles III at Buckingham Palace after rising to become one of the wealthiest former footballers in the world.
Flamini shared images from the meeting, which took place during a summit attended by business leaders in the bioeconomy sector.
Captioning his Instagram post, he wrote:
“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.
“Meanwhile, Europe’s industrial edge, especially in chemicals (now just 13 per cent globally) is shrinking. The solution? Green chemistry. The technology is ready. What we need is speed and ambition.
“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.
“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.”
The 42-year-old, who retired from football in 2019, has built substantial wealth through business ventures. He co-founded GF Biochemicals, a firm focused on developing sustainable alternatives to fossil-based products, and is estimated to be worth around £10 billion.
The company works on replacing petrochemicals with eco-friendly solutions across industries such as manufacturing and production. Since retiring, Flamini has become a leading voice in climate innovation and environmental sustainability, eventually taking on the role of CEO at the company he co-founded years before ending his playing career.
He once explained the roots of his passion, saying:
“As a child, I had two passions: football and sustainability.”
During his football career, Flamini made 246 appearances across two spells at Arsenal, helping the club win the FA Cup in 2005 and again during his second stint. He also enjoyed success with AC Milan, winning the Serie A title in the 2010–11 season.
He later played for Crystal Palace and Getafe CF before retiring in 2019. Flamini earned three caps for France and was named Arsenal Player of the Season for the 2007–08 campaign.