L
ionel Messi ended the year by listing his real estate portfolio on a small Spanish stock market through a company called Edificio Rostower Socimi. The REIT, valued at $232 million, was listed on December 30 under the ticker symbol $58.89 on the digital-only Portfolio Stock Exchange.

    The properties owned by Rostower include seven hotels, three commercial spaces, and several apartments in Catalonia, London, and Paris. Despite suffering losses in both 2022 and 2023, Messi chose to list the company on this smaller platform rather than Spain's largest stock exchange.

    As a REIT, Edificio Rostower Socimi benefits from a lower tax rate compared to other companies in Spain. In the US, REITs also enjoy tax breaks as long as they distribute a portion of their profits in dividends annually.

    Messi, who has a net worth of $600 million and earns over $1 billion in career earnings, is listed as the chairman of Rostower's board. His wife, Antonela, also holds a seat on the board. The company's listing was facilitated by Spain's government failing to increase taxes on real estate trusts in parliament.

    Messi's decision to list his properties comes after he spent most of his life and career in Spain before joining Major League Soccer's Inter Miami in 2023. His contract with the team is an MLS-record $20.5 million, and he has major endorsement deals with Adidas, Mastercard, and Pepsi among others.