The star of world football, Cristiano Ronaldo, has made one of the most notable deals in his investment career by investing in the technology startup Perplexity AI. This is not just about financial participation — the parties have concluded a global partnership agreement that expands the athlete's presence in the digital technology sector. The details of the deal are not disclosed, but its scale has already sparked active discussion in the AI market and among business circles.
According to Bloomberg data, this is Ronaldo's first investment directly related to artificial intelligence. Previously, the athlete preferred projects from the real sector — from sports facilities to hospitality businesses.
Perplexity AI strengthens its position and emerges as a competitor to the largest search engines
Founded in 2022, Perplexity AI positions itself as an alternative to traditional search engines. The company bets on tools built on neural networks and aims to compete with Google products. The startup is actively expanding its international presence and developing corporate solutions, including smart assistants, subscription services, and business tools.
As part of the partnership with Ronaldo, Perplexity launched a special interactive center for the footballer's fans. The new module is embedded directly into the search engine and serves as a platform for communication, publications, and materials about the athlete, creating additional traffic and expanding the company's user base.
Perplexity's valuation exceeded $20 billion: the startup consolidates its status as one of the fastest-growing AI companies in the world
In September 2025, Perplexity attracted a new round of investments, during which its valuation reached $20 billion. Against the backdrop of rapid growth in the artificial intelligence industry, the startup has taken one of the leading positions and has become the focus of investors' attention.
Experts note that Ronaldo's involvement — a figure of global stature — reflects a new trend: public leaders and celebrities are increasingly investing in high-tech companies, seeking to be part of the market of the future. Such collaboration enhances user trust and increases brand public recognition.
Ronaldo's investment strategy: transitioning from local assets to international technology projects
Cristiano Ronaldo's net worth is estimated at approximately $1.4 billion. Until recently, most of his investments were concentrated in Portugal, where the athlete developed projects in sports, hospitality, fitness industry, and media.
The deal with Perplexity AI demonstrates a strategic shift to the 'new economy' — Ronaldo is betting on a tech startup with global ambitions for the first time. Experts believe this could be an entry point for the athlete into the AI and digital platforms market.
Context: meeting with Donald Trump and ongoing attention to past legal proceedings
A few weeks before the deal, Ronaldo met with US President Donald Trump. The content of the meeting was not officially disclosed, but the event was widely discussed on social media and in the media due to the lack of details and the rapid growth of interest in the footballer's business projects.
In addition, public attention is still drawn to the 2023 lawsuit related to the advertising campaign of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. The lawsuit alleged that the athlete participated in promoting the company's products, which the plaintiffs considered unregistered securities. Ronaldo was also accused of failing to disclose the amount of compensation, which, according to the plaintiffs, should have been done in accordance with US law.
The athlete himself did not comment on the accusations, and the case became a subject of discussion due to the involvement of a global sports star and the scale of the claims made.
What does the deal mean for the artificial market?$OCEAN intelligence
Industry experts believe that Ronaldo's investment in Perplexity AI strengthens the trend towards the convergence of entertainment, sports, and high technology industries. The involvement of global public figures:
increases the recognition of AI companies;
contributes to growing trust in alternative search products;
enhances user interest in neural network services;
pushes the market towards further competition.
The startup Perplexity AI is among the key players influencing the future of digital search and generative intelligence technologies in 2025.
