Staff conditions at Ronaldo hotel sum him up as he becomes billionaire | Football | Sport
Cristiano Ronaldo has amassed a staggering fortune thanks to his brilliance on the pitch and astute decisions off it. The Manchester United and Real Madrid legend has become football’s first billionaire player.
The 40-year-old’s net worth is estimated at a whopping £1.04billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which monitors the world’s wealthiest individuals. Ronaldo’s valuation encompasses career earnings, investments and endorsements, with Bloomberg estimating his salary income from 2002 to 2023 to be over £410million. In 2022, his move to Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr saw him sign for an annual salary of £177m, and he has recently inked a new contract that will keep him at the club until 2027. He also enjoys a £13.4m per year sponsorship deal with Nike.
Beyond the pitch, Ronaldo has a variety of business ventures, including a hotel chain. He ventured into the hospitality industry a decade ago when he partnered with the Pestana Hotel Group and fellow Madeiran Dionisio Pestana, reportedly investing around £30m in the project.
He now owns hotels in Madrid, Funchal, Lisbon, Marrakech and New York under his CR7 brand. A recruitment drive by the Madrid site last year provided a glimpse into what employees can expect.
The hotel was recruiting waiters, supervisors, receptionists, bar staff and junior waiters, with all applicants required to have fluent English and vocational qualifications. The job advertisement highlighted numerous attractive perks for employees, including permanent contracts with restaurant vouchers and reduced rates at the group’s other properties.
Annual leave of 50 days, birthday bonuses and 25% reductions across all hotel bars and restaurants were part of salary packages reaching just over £25,000. Staff additionally receive free health insurance coverage.
Back in 2015, Ronaldo revealed to CNBC it was his “dream” to own a hotel. He explained: “I’m 100 per cent sure that this is going to be different from others because of my name, the way I live, my ambitions, Dionisio’s ambition too.
“I think we have all the ingredients to do it. My ambition is kind of like in football, to be better and better. As you know, football is not for your whole life. I want other things.”
Despite reaching his fifth decade, Ronaldo remains far from retirement as a footballer, ignoring family pressure to retire. Speaking at the Portugal Football Globes gala following his contract extension, he declared: “I still have a passion for this.
“My family says it’s time to quit, and they ask me why I want to score 1,000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside. I’m still producing good things. I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue?
“I am sure that when I finish, I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
