Cristiano Ronaldo sold his 2013 Ballon d’Or to Israel’s richest man for $600,000
One of the five Ballons d’Or won by the Portuguese star was sold at auction in exchange for a multi-million dollar sum.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the second player with the most Ballons d’Or after Lionel Messi. The Portuguese ace has five individual awards - the first of them he won while at Manchester United in 2008 and he subsequently won four more during his time at Real Madrid in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
However, behind the first Ballon d’Or he picked up with Real Madrid in 2013, there is an interesting story as the award is longer in his possession. Cristiano decided to donate the Ballon d’Or to charity and it was later auctioned off by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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According to The Mirror, Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer won the auction to acquire the Ballon d’Or, which Cristiano handed over after receiving an exact replica, while the original was exhibited in his museum in Madeira.
The Israeli businessman, who has been involved in the world of soccer, acquired what was Cristiano’s second Ballon d’Or for $645,000, which went to the children’s organization, which grants life-changing wishes to children with serious illnesses and other problems.
Who is Idan Ofer? the Israeli billionaire who acquired the Ballon d’Or from CR7
Idan Ofer, a 62-year-old billionaire businessman from Israel, living in England, has built a significant wealth largely through his international oil and shipping businesses. He is also the controlling shareholder in Israel Corp - a company he runs which specializes in chemicals, energy and shipping.
In 2017, Ofer acquired a 32% stake in Atlético Madrid shares and began his adventure in soccer to later become the majority owner of the Portuguese team FC Famalicao, which has contributed to increasing his personal fortune up to $9.8 billion, a heritage that he has built thanks to his direct participation in the world of soccer.