From Premier League Fumble to Football’s 1st Billionaire Triumph: Jota’s Epic Turnaround

There are several stories where soccer players have struggled in their life after retirement. However, former Aston Villa star Jota had a plan ready when he decided to leave the sport. He did not just make a name for himself, but he also became the first soccer billionaire with the plans he had laid out for his future.

The story of going from an Aston Villa reject to a Billionaire is certainly an inspiring story for the future generation. Here is how the former Spanish star fought against the odds to become successful.

The journey of Jota from a struggling soccer player to a successful Billionaire

There are several players that after retiring become pundits or even turn to coaching. However, former attacking midfielder Jota decided to venture into something unrelated to the sport. After retiring at the age of 31, he started his own agricultural technology company named Groinn. Speaking on why he took a huge step, he said, “Football should make personalities stand out. I was doing what the manager said, but I didn’t enjoy it. It was a difficult decision because I was saying no to so much money, but I had loved football so much it was never about the money. I lost my motivation, but I had another big project on my mind.”

Jota certainly had a big project planned after his soccer career. The company he started Groinn recently entered into a mega partnership with the Spanish Government. The deal alone could be worth $760 million in 2025. The success story is not going to stop at that. They are also hoping to expand to several continents. Jota also pointed out that his company is now ten times worth the investment. The former Premier League star has also projected that the company could earn 3 billion pounds in 2026.

Jota also added that the success of Groinn is a long-term project for him. As far as his time on the soccer field is concerned, the Spanish certainly had time to remember from his time in England.

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The net worth and salary of Jota before retirement

The Spanish star started his career in his homeland with clubs like Real Madrid, Eibar, and others. However, he found success after moving to English side Brentford. This earned him a move to Birmingham. Later, their arch-rivals Aston Villa paid a huge fee to sign him. The 32-year-old had a salary of 1.8 million pounds which means he used to earn around 35,000 pounds weekly wage.

His net worth before he started his business was estimated to be around 6 million pounds. Hence, building such a high business after retiring from a sport paying well was a huge risk.

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Nonetheless, Jota knew that with high risk, he could also earn high rewards. He had several opportunities to continue his soccer career. But, the 32-year-old will now think that he certainly made the right decision.