Ronaldo financial interest secure in $55m wellness brand acquisition

Football star Cristiano Ronaldo will maintain a financial interest in UK-based supplement business Bioniq despite its sale to wellness giant Herbalife. 

Portugal striker Ronaldo, who is currently competing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, invested in Bioniq in 2024 as the footballer looked to expand his portfolio beyond football and his CR7 empire.

But the acquisition of Bioniq by Herbalife, at a valuation of $55m with performance-related add-ons, risked shrinking Ronaldo’s portfolio.

In a statement shared with City AM, however, it was confirmed that Ronaldo will remain part of the business.

“At closing,” a statement read, “Cristiano Ronaldo’s existing equity would be converted into the transaction structure, and he will remain a partner through a multi-year earn-out aligned with future business performance.”

Ronaldo, 41, said: “Throughout my career, biometrics and personalised nutrition have been central to helping me perform and compete at the highest level.

“As a longtime Herbalife and Bioniq user, I’ve experienced firsthand how a tailored approach to nutrition can help optimise performance.”

Ronaldo in equity conversion

Herbalife shares closed down 3.5 per cent on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday afternoon.

The continued investment in Bioniq comes weeks after Ronaldo purchased a stake in second tier Spanish football side UD Almeria. 

The club acquisition strengthened Ronaldo’s ties with Saudi Arabia, with Mohamed Al Khereiji’s kingdom-based SMC Group owning the majority shareholding in the club, having purchased the team from boxing tycoon and Riyadh Season mastermind Turki Alalshikh.

“The future of health and wellness is becoming more personalised and informed by data,” said Herbalife chief executive Stephan Gratziani. “By combining Bioniq’s personalised supplement technology with Pro2col and the power of our global distributor network, we are expanding our ability to deliver personalised wellness at global scale.”

The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026 and the transaction value, a statement stated, “includes up to $95 million of contingent payments based on future performance”.