Retirement from professional football can be a crisis for many athletes, but Adebayor has turned it into an opportunity. From real estate to digital engagement, he now runs multiple ventures supported by a team of over 100 people across media, business, and charity operations. He sees gaming not as a departure from sports, but as an extension, one where engagement, digital media, and influence creates new pathways for both fans and professionals.
Aligning with the theme for this year’s conference, Emmanuel Adebayor shared that he is able to maintain a dynamic, scalable presence in the digital economy through his strategic use of AI and technology. ”So for me, I think artificial intelligence helps a lot. We use it a lot. Obviously because of all my interviews, we got it together and see in which way AI can help communicate with my fans or with my audience. And that’s what we are doing. And sometimes I can ask artificial intelligence, okay, this is what I want to do. This is how much I have. How can I use it to make it purpose? And obviously they give me an idea and output my ideology into it and we are getting it right. But don’t get it twisted. It’s not easy. It’s a big job.”
Addressing the common downfall of athletes who go broke after retirement, Emmanuel Adebayor spoke with rare honesty. “When I was young, I was buying watches, cars, diamond chains. The money was there, and the head was gone,” he said candidly. “But I learned to divide my salary, one part for fun, one for property, one for saving.” He now owns a real estate business, is involved in multiple ambassadorial roles, and has a foundation that reflects his commitment to giving back. His message to younger athletes remains clear: build while you earn.