Soccer superstar David Beckham made an appearance at the BEYOND Expo 2024 conference today, taking part in a “fireside chat” with Sands China CEO Grant Chum.
Speaking as part of the conference’s Global Investment Summit, Beckham outlined his transition from professional footballer to entrepreneur, noting that “10 years before my retirement, I started building [and investing] in businesses to be ready for the moment I stepped out of playing football.”
[See more: David Beckham talks food, football and his new namesake suites in Macao]
He said his biggest challenge was starting the Inter Miami CF team, which he owns. Hailing it as “probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in business,” he said he knew he had “to build a team around me more clever than me [and] more hard working.”
Regarding his entry into the lifestyle and fashion industry, the famed footballer noted that he had been lucky to “go into business with great brands that also want longevity,” striking deals that last 10 to 20 years.
With respect to philanthropy, the celebrity said he was “introduced to UNICEF over 20 years ago when [he] was on a tour in Thailand with Manchester United.” He discussed his work in helping children in education, as well as campaigning against child marriage, and said that he was a firm believer in the positive benefits of sport. “You can see that from the moment that a child steps onto a football pitch or a basketball court or a tennis court, their faces change.”
The soccer player is close to his own children and said that “the most important thing to me is my children and my wife and our parents.” Despite his hectic schedule, he stressed that he and his wife Victoria Beckham strive to ensure that at least “one of us is always at home with the children.”
[See more: Take an insider’s tour of David Beckham’s vacation home in Macao]
As for the future, the star said that “I just want to continue to be healthy, to be fit, to be able to travel and to work as hard as I do” so that he could continue building his business and brand.
One of Asia’s largest tech and innovation events, the BEYOND Expo is being held at the Venetian Macao until 25 May. It aims to promote exchange and discussion between stakeholders in the Asian tech industry, allowing them to showcase the latest innovations in the sector.
