World champion for Germany becomes billionaire with unusual business; understand

A football player's success does not always remain solely within the four lines. World champion for Germany in 2014 and owner of an extensive CV in major European clubs, the striker Lukas Podolski Today he is a billionaire, mainly due to his activities outside of football.

The 38-year-old is a very successful kebab and ice cream shop entrepreneur. According to the newspaper “The Sun”, his assets are valued at 207 million euros (around R$1.1 billion).

Podolski plays for Gornik Zabrzefrom the Polandhis home country, since 2021, after spells with teams such as Bayern Munchen, Arsenal It is Inter Milan. In the current season, he has three goals and five assists in 18 matches. But, it was there in 2017 that it all started.

That year, the player opened the ice cream brand Ice Cream United and, a year later, came the biggest success of his career as a businessman: the first kebab restaurant, a typical snack from Middle Eastafter he put on his shirt Galatasarayfrom the Türkiye. A Mangal Doner It became a success in Germany and already has 30 franchises open.

The success also came, interestingly, due to criticism about the price of the establishment's snacks. In an interview with a German YouTuber, the player defended the quality of his product and criticized other stores. “If you order something at McDonald's, you pay as much as at my restaurants, maybe more. But the food is not of good quality”defended Podolski.

Furthermore, Lukas Podolski's business doesn't stop there. The player also owns a music festival, the Glücksgefühle Festivalin addition to a football championship that brings together celebrities and fans, Schauinsland Reisen Cup.