Football fans tuning in to watch Ghana against England at the World Cup may well think of Asamoah Gyan when they cast their minds back to previous Black Stars campaigns. What they may not know is that the former Premier League footballer was left with just a few hundred pounds in his bank account after squandering the multi-million-pound fortune he accumulated throughout his playing days. Gyan scored his country’s first ever World Cup goal in 2006 and was the leading light for his national team at the 2010 tournament.
The tournament ended painfully for him, though, after he missed a last-gasp penalty against Uruguay which could have sent the African team into the semi-finals. The striker launched his career in his homeland but was swiftly snapped up by Udinese and established his reputation in Italy. He moved to Rennes in 2008 before sealing a transfer to Sunderland two years later off the back of his World Cup exploits. He became the Black Cats’ record signing and netted 11 times in 37 appearances, including a famous stoppage-time leveller against arch-rivals Newcastle. He later spent time in the UAE and China, reportedly pocketed a staggering weekly wage of £227,000 while at Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG – making him the eighth best-paid player in world football.
Gyan even splashed out on a gold-plated Rolls Royce before losing virtually all of his wealth several years down the line. In 2018, he admitted he was practically broke after claiming he had not been paid for a number of months.
Speaking to Ghanaian media, he revealed that his bank balance stood at just £597. “My front and back, up and down is that money you see there,” he said.
To compound matters, Gyan had become entangled in an acrimonious legal annulment dispute with his ex-wife. Their courtroom clash featured accusations of unfaithfulness and questions over paternity, leading to DNA testing being carried out.
A court ultimately determined that Gyan was the biological father of his three children. He was additionally ordered to transfer several assets to his former wife, including a residence in the UK, a four-bedroom house in Ghana, a petrol station he owned and two vehicles.
Gyan has subsequently transformed his life and resides in a mansion in Accra, according to a 2024 report from Spanish outlet Marca. He is reported to have expanded his business portfolio as a boxing promoter, philanthropist and food and beverage entrepreneur.
He even established his own airline, Baby Jet, which received a licence to operate from the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority. However, the venture shut down in 2019 without completing a single flight.
The 40-year-old has also ventured into politics, aligning himself with the centre-right New Patriotic Party at one point. Yet he subsequently announced that he was withdrawing from the party to focus on his humanitarian efforts.
In a statement shared in 2024, he said: “I have not been fair to the youth and people of Ghana. From now on, I am not affiliated with any political party.
“I will continue my humanitarian work and help the youth of Ghana in my own small way. Nothing political. I wish all of the political parties a peaceful election. God bless our homeland.”