Alex Trelinski
A REAL estate investment trust owned by former Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi made its debut on Spain’s stock markets on Monday at €57.40 per share, making it worth €223 million.
Messi has been named as chairman of Edificio Rostower Socimi’s board in documents published by the Portfolio Stock Exchange, a small European alternative market.
Edificio Rostower’s only shareholder is Messi’s family investment vehicle, Limecu Espana 2010, the documents showed.
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But the trust has told the exchange it plans to open up to new investors, according to the chief executive of Portfolio Stock Exchange, Santiago Navarro.
The exchange, launched last year and supervised by the Bank of Spain, only allows trading when a company seeks to sell shares or increase its capital, Navarro said.
The approach allows greater flexibility and control as well as lower costs compared to traditional initial public offerings, he said, adding any purchase request order must first be approved by shareholders.
Edificio Rostower owns seven hotels in Spain and Andorra, three office spaces and five apartments in Spain, as well as apartments in London and Paris, the documents said.
Founded in 2013, the company posted a €1.7 million loss in 2023, according to records published by the Portfolio Stock Exchange.
Most of the company’s investments are in Catalunya where Messi, 37, moved in 2000 when he was 13 years old to join Barcelona’s youth team.
The eight-times Balon d’Or winner- currently playing for Inter Miami- has long said he plans to return to live in Barcelona with his wife and three children after he retires from soccer.
Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, is the board’s vice-president.
The other members of the board are Alfonso Nebot, who runs Messi’s family office, and Ramon Adell, who is a board member of Spanish energy company Naturgy.
