Few industries registered a similar spike to what happened with eSports in the last decade. It burst into the mainstream scene and generates billions of dollars globally between prize pools, ticket sales, and subscriptions.
And since everyone loves a success story, some big names were quick to invest in eSports back when the industry wasn’t as glamorous as it is now. Kazem Masalmeh, the owner of a7labet, has delved into the notable figures behind some of the world's prominent eSports teams. Here's a glimpse into his findings. If you’re eager to learn more about the celebrities who invested in eSports, we’ve got ten names for you!
The NBA Hall of Fame player started his connections with the eSports industry back in 2018, long after his retirement. Of course, after the exceptionally lucrative partnership with Nike, Jordan had plenty of funds to invest, so he chose a new eSports company called aXiomatic Gaming for his next move.
If you’ve never heard of aXiomatic Gaming, perhaps Team Liquid will ring a bell. Michael Jordan invested $26 million in the company, that’s estimated to be over $200 million, according to Forbes.
Not sure who came up with the “fat Ronaldo” nickname for the Brazilian who singlehandedly changed football, but that’s certainly not a good fit. Despite adding a few kilos, Ronaldo never avoided football and other sports.
In 2017 he bought half of the CNB e-sports Club together with two huge poker players - Igor Trafane FEderal and Andre Akkari. It’s one of the biggest eSports organizations from South Africa and has been competing since 2001, mostly in Counter-Strike events.
Fun fact: Ronaldo also owns 82% of former La Liga club Real Valladolid since the passion for football never dies in such a brilliant player.
This one is earlier than the previous two. Early in 2020, Guild eSports made the headlines when it launched with David Beckham as co-owner. Obviously, the team attracted much attention from investors and sports fans alike.
It’s not just football or basketball legends that like to dip their fingers into the eSports scene. World famous rapper Drake recently invested in two esports teams. His first venture in the discipline started his relationship with eSports by appearing in several Twitch streams.
Then, he became the co-owner of 100 Thieves, the organization founded by ex-Call of Duty player Matt Haag. Drake continued to invest in Player Lounge, a startup that enables player to match up and play for money easily.
We’re switching to Hollywood for this next investor. Will Smith indeed enjoyed a huge dose of negative publicity recently after his stunt at the Oscars. However, that shouldn’t make us lose focus on his investment in Gen C., a world-leading eSports organization.
It was about time for a legendary boxer to enter the eSports ring. Iron Mike invested in a professional esports team called Fade 2 Karma back in 2019. To mark the event, Mike Tyson actually played a HEarthstone game with the team.
We’ve circled back to basketball for this partnership. If Curry is well-known for his deep 3s and the impact he had on the NBA, it’s time to meet him as a big investor in TSM. Founded in 2009, TeamSoloMid (TSM) is present in Dota 2, Apex Legends, CS:GO, and chess.
This entry is an easter egg for our readers. We’re not talking about one huge celebrity, but three. It goes without saying that the singer and DJ who followed Shaq’s investment into NRG eSports are just as famous but it’s hard to beat his resume. The organization has a wide variety of rosters spanning games such as Apex Legends, CoD, Fortnite, Hearthstone, and Overwatch, among others.
We know, we know … another NBA star with a taste for eSports. Well, it seems that they just can’t get enough. And he’s not alone; Shaquille O’Neal joins him as investor in Vision eSports. The gaming company is also the biggest shareholder in Echo Fox, an eSports team with over 40 players competing in 12 leagues.
The Swedish striker who recently hanged his boots picked a home eSports platform to invest in and support. The esports platform was founded in 2014 by Philip Skogsberg and Robel Efrem and has already gathered almost $20 million in funding and is also linked with team Fnatic.
From the football pitches and courts to the gaming arena, the transition of sports legends and celebrities into the eSports domain reveals the massive potential and appeal of this thriving industry. More big names will certainly join the movement as the growth of eSports shows no signs of stopping.
