FOOTBALL may have been a good earner for Martin Braithwaite, but it’s outside the beautiful game he’s made his fortune.

The much-maligned striker, 31, is currently plying his trade at Espanyol.

Martin Braithwaite now plays for Espanyol, after flopping at Barcelona

Outside of football, Denmark striuker Braithwaite has made a £216m fortune

But, in truth, he could retire tomorrow thanks to his incredible business acumen.

The Denmark star’s companies are believed to be worth a staggering £216million.

His biggest is a property business in the US that offers affordable housing in historically black neighbourhoods.

Braithwaite has also invested in a clothing line, as well as a high-end restaurant with entrepreneur wife Anne-Laure.

While, she also runs her own healthy meal delivery service – meaning they have an empire that even Lord Sugar would be enviable of.

It started with homes

Back in 2017, Braithwaite invested £617,000 with his brother Philip Michael into NYCE Companies in the US.

In its first year, it grew to be worth a stunning £7.2million. Now it’s said to be worth somewhere in the region of £180million.

What they did, essentially, was something desperately needed for communities in Philadelphia and New Jersey.

They went into areas associated with black Americans and built affordable homes.

Within six years, they have around 1,500 apartments – and are constructing a further 500.

“I always had this American side, and I think maybe that’s why my mindset is maybe more American: dreaming big, doing amazing things, writing goals down,” Braithwaite told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“In Denmark, we have an amazing system protecting the people. Everyone is good. No one needs anything. In America, it’s not really the same thing.”

Alongside his brother Philip Michael, Braithwaite has established a huge property portfolio

Their venture NYCE Companies provides luxury and affordable housing

NYCE properties are found in historically black neighbourhoods in New Jersey and PhiladelphiaThe Tech mansion

The forward-thinking pair have also established The Temple – a smart home project aimed at tech-savvy and business-minded students and creators.

Found near Temple University’s campus in Philly, the building is modelled after Silicon Valley’s famous ‘hacker house’ where young entrepreneurs live and work together as they being their startups.

High-tech devices, including virtual reality leasing, AI-powered VIP concierge, and keyless/facial recognition make The Temple the place to be if you want to be the next Mark Zuckerberg.

It was set up with a goal to narrow the Millennial Wealth Gap, a rising economic disparity between white and non-white millennials.

Braithwaite, who has been a major activist in the Black Lives Matter movement, is keen to provide African-Americans greater opportunities in the tech industry and entrepreneurship.

They have set themselves a target to create 100,000 millennial millionaires by 2030.

The Temple is a smart home project aimed at tech-savvy and business-minded students and creatorsFood and Fashion

Not content with a property portfolio, Braithwaite also has an interest in fashion and food.

Alongside his gorgeous wife Anne-Laure he runs a clothing label and a restaurant.

Trente is a women’s line that is believed to have enjoyed huge success in her native France, since it was set up in 2019.

Martin and self-confessed foodie Anne-Laure also co-own a restaurant on Barcelona’s Gava beach called Gave.

It specialises in vegetarian dishes, and came soon after Braithwaite moved to the city from Leganes.

Which led to his wife’s next venture.

Braithwaite’s wife Anne-Laure runs a fashion label and they co-own a restaurant

Foodies the Braithwaites believe in healthy eating

The Braithwaite family own a beachside restaurant that serves vegan foodTheir latest creation

Aside from raising four children and maintaining a football career, the Braithwaite’s latest idea is an offshoot from their restaurant.

Braithwaite’s Kitchen provides healthy meals at home – again elaborate vegan and vegetarian dishes – designed especially for busy families and athletes that want to eat healthy but don’t have the knowledge or time to cook.

‘Each meal plan is personalised to every customers needs,’ they boast on their stylish website.

Prices aren’t listed, and isn’t known how well the business is doing yet – given it’s in its infancy stage.

However, you can bet it’ll be a success if past ventures are anything to go by.

Braithwaite’s Kitchen provides healthy meals delivered to your homeForbes rich list

Because of his incredible success away from football, he made the list of richest in sport on Forbes’ annual list last year.

His earnings of £85,000-per-week at previous club Barcelona were dwarfed by his team-mates.

However, his wealth boosted by his companies meant the former Middlesbrough striker was the richest at club the AFTER Lionel Messi left for PSG.

Braithwaite was asked to mutually end his contract earlier in the summer when Xavi deemed him surplus to requirements and no one submitted bids for him.

But Braithwaite refused, allegedly demanding a £4m pay-off with his contract paid out in full.

Just hours after his release from Barcelona, the free agent signed a three-year contract with city-rivals Espanyol.