After staying put in Milwaukee after the trade deadline, Giannis Antetokounmpo is seemingly working overtime to secure his career post-retirement. Back-to-back announcements of partnership ventures have, unfortunately, brought negative headlines for the Bucks superstar.

After a shareholder role in Kalshi, which received public backlash, the 2x MVP joins the Chelsea FC Women team’s ownership group, led by Todd Boehly, who has been named in newly released Jeffrey Epstein-related documents. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian made another investment together as minority owners, which the Bucks star shared.

“I’m proud and honored to partner with my friend @alexisohanian, joining the ownership group of @chelseafcw, a historic club built on passion, excellence, and a winning culture. Chelsea’s history speaks for itself, and I’m excited to contribute to the future by supporting continued growth and impact in women’s sport. This is about ambition, legacy, and pushing the game to new heights. Up the Chels! 🦁 💙.”

In August 2023, Giannis Antetokounmpo also invested in the Los Angeles Golf Club of the TGL golf league. He joined the LAGC’s star-studded ownership group, which had Ohanian and his wife, tennis legend Serena Williams. This time, the investment in the Chelsea women’s team is under scrutiny because of Boehly’s alleged controversy.

The part-owner of Chelsea FC and the Los Angeles Lakers did not respond to the controversy, which linked his name to the highly sensitive case. The Athletic reported that Bohely apparently exchanged several emails with Jeffrey Epstein in 2011. It is controversial because it was three years after Epstein pleaded guilty. While Todd Boehly declined to comment on the situation, The Athletic noted the emails were strictly business-related.

The investigation is still ongoing and has drawn widespread public scrutiny. So, even though Giannis is trying to sort out his future, the moves have been questioned.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Kalshi issue

Kalshi doesn’t claim to be a sports book. It operates as a federally regulated prediction market, allowing users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events. This separates the $11 billion brand from FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM, which must follow state gaming regulators. So, why is it receiving public backlash?

However, the NBA fans aren’t thrilled about Giannis’ latest investment. Their main reason seems to be that players shouldn’t associate themselves with any prediction/betting platform. While some fans even demanded a federal investigation and questioned the Bucks star’s involvement in the drama surrounding the trade deadline. However, the company has clearly defined Antetokounmpo’s role and has prohibited him with this in mind.

“As an active player in the NBA, Antetokounmpo will be forbidden from trading on markets related to the NBA,” Kalshi added in the statement. Citing its insider trading and integrity policies, which prohibited any active NBA player from trading on NBA-related markets under its terms of service. For now, there are no official reports that put Giannis Antetokounmpo’s investments in doubt.

His previous track record makes him a serial investor, and he even launched Build Your Legacy Ventures, a fund focused on early-stage companies in sports, entertainment, and technology in 2024. The first big move was with Unrivaled, a women’s three-on-three basketball league founded by WNBA icons Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. Apart from this, Antetokounmpo also holds minority ownership stakes in the Milwaukee Brewers and Nashville SC.