David Beckham earned much of his fame from football. Even though he retired over 10 years ago, his success as a businessman and working with the United Nations has continued well after his time as a sportsman.
But if you ask the 49-year-old Englishman, his legacy comes down to “simple values.”
Beckham has been a goodwill ambassador at UNICEF for nearly two decades, during which he created a fund to fight poverty, violence, and hunger.
In an interview during the World Economic Forum, where Beckham was awarded the Crystal Award for philanthropy, the former footballer said he acquired his inclination to make an impact from the values his parents passed on to him.
“I think they instilled in me the right values, and it’s the simple values of treating everyone the same and showing respect to people, and I tried to do the same with my children,” Beckham told CNBC. He gave examples of his sons opening the door for women, shaking hands, and making eye contact.
Beckham said he takes his children on some of his UNICEF trips, so they know “exactly the work I do for UNICEF.” Moving forward, he focused on empowering teenage girls to “live their full potential” in countries where they lack access to the right opportunities that can help uplift them and their communities.
Last year, Beckham also became an ambassador at the King’s Foundation, a charity set up by King Charles III that aims to provide skills, education, and public services.
Beckham, the businessman
Beckham and his wife Victoria, the Spice Girls singer turned fashion designer, are estimated to be worth about £455 million ($569 million) and are among the most influential couples in Britain and beyond. Since retiring from professional football, Beckham became the co-owner of the American club Inter Miami CF, which Lionel Messi plays for.
“I like to work,” Beckham said about his business interest. As he grew up in a working-class family, watching his parents spend long days at work, he adopted their work ethic.
He added that he likes “being the face” and the founder but picks what’s right for him by asking himself if he can work with the people involved, and going with his gut.
He is a shareholder at the sports entertainment company Authentic Brands Group, which now co-owns Beckham’s global brand. The former footballer has also made money from a controversial endorsement of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as part of a 10-year deal worth £125 million.
Although the Beckhams have become well-known personalities worldwide, it wasn’t until recently that the duo forayed into media, giving their fans an inside view of their lives in the 2023 Netflix documentary Beckham.
The project wasn’t undertaken without reluctance, Beckham admitted, since he had never been “ready to look back at my career.”
“I didn’t really want to talk about things because I’d never talked about those things before,” he said in a CNBC interview.
Ultimately, the bet was a massive success, amassing millions of views. According to an announcement last August, Victoria Beckham is set to launch her own documentary.