The world’s highest-paid soccer player has made a new investment. Cristiano Ronaldo paid $7.5 million for a 10% stake in Herbalife subsidiary HBL Pro2col Software LLC, a health and nutrition technology company. The company uses technology to personalize health plans. HBL Pro2col collects users’ health and lifestyle data to create custom nutrition and wellness plans through software.
The news was shared with Herbalife’s latest financial results. Herbalife announced the investment during its fourth-quarter earnings report. Herbalife reported growth in sales. The company saw a 1% increase in full-year 2025 sales compared to 2024 and a 6.3% jump in fourth-quarter sales, as stated by Forbes. Ronaldo has worked with Herbalife for many years. He has been a paid partner of Herbalife since 2013, but this is his first public investment in the company.
Ronaldo investment reason
Ronaldo explained why he invested.He said the deal is a normal next step in his partnership with Herbalife. He also said working with Herbalife gives him motivation at this point in his career. Investors felt happy about the news. Because of this, Herbalife’s stock price went up by more than 15% by Thursday morning. Ronaldo is still the highest-earning football player. He was ranked No. 1 on Forbes’ 2025 list and earned about $280 million in total.
A large part of his income comes off the field. Around $50 million came from business deals and brand work, including his CR7-branded hotels, gyms, and watches. Ronaldo is also a huge digital star. His YouTube channel UR Cristiano has about 77 million subscribers. His social media reach is very huge. Marketing agency Two Circles says Cristiano Ronaldo has about 1.04 billion followers across different platforms, which is the biggest audience in the world. He is also getting ready to play in the 2026 World Cup, according to a report by Forbes.
World cup goals record
Ronaldo is expected to play for Portugal in the 2026 North America World Cup. Age makes this World Cup special. At 41 years old, he will be among the oldest players in the tournament. A major personal record is in sight. Ronaldo is chasing 1,000 career goals, a milestone no player has officially reached. He is still missing one big trophy. Despite winning two Nations League titles and one Euro Championship, he has never won a FIFA World Cup.
Herbalife and Ronaldo’s partnership runs deep. The company made him a global brand ambassador and official nutrition partner in 2013. They also launched products together. Herbalife created Herbalife24 CR7 Drive, a co-branded sports drink developed with Ronaldo’s input, as noted by Forbes. Ronaldo has been central to Herbalife marketing. He has appeared in global advertising campaigns for the company for over a decade. Ronaldo currently plays club football in Saudi Arabia. He is based in Saudi Arabia and plays for Al Nassr.
Herbalife past controversies
Herbalife has worked with other soccer stars before. The company sponsored FC Barcelona in 2010 and ran campaigns featuring Lionel Messi. The stock jump follows years of poor performance. Before this surge, Herbalife shares had fallen about two-thirds over the past five years. The company has faced major controversy in the past. In 2012, billionaire investor Bill Ackman made a $1 billion bet against Herbalife, triggering a public battle. Another billionaire took the opposite side. Carl Icahn backed Herbalife with a large long position during that fight. Regulators later stepped in. In 2016, the Federal Trade Commission told Herbalife to pay a $200 million fine and change some parts of its business, according to Forbes. Now, the deal with Ronaldo shows a new beginning for the company. The investment shows that people trust Herbalife again, helped by Ronaldo’s huge global popularity and his long relationship with the brand.
FAQs
Q1. Why did Cristiano Ronaldo invest in Herbalife’s tech company?
He invested to grow his long partnership with Herbalife and support new health technology that creates personal nutrition plans.
Q2. How did the market react to Ronaldo’s investment?
Herbalife’s stock price quickly jumped more than 15% after the news was announced.
