Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is known for his work ethic on and off the basketball court. He and his family are putting the business lessons they’ve learned over the last several years to use through the formation of a new parent company called Ante, Inc.
Ante, Inc. was created by the Antetokounmpo family to oversee a global portfolio of businesses, investment assets, brand holdings, and organizations for social impact. The family has made numerous investments in sports franchises including the Nashville SC Major League Soccer team and the Milwaukee Brewers, in a mutual fund with Naperville, Illinois-based Calamos Investments, entered partnerships with Ready and Nike, and launched the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation.
“My family is building a business that we can be proud of,” said Giannis Antetokounmpo in a social media announcement. “I have had the privilege of learning from professionals who understand what it means to build success off the court, and it’s time me and my family begin to build that.”
According to a Friday press release, the Antetokounmpo Family says they have “a clear vision” as to how they want to impact the world. As the family moves forward, all opportunities on behalf of the family will be brought through Ante, Inc.
Giannis and his three brothers – Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex – are all professional basketball players and all serve as co-founders and board members of Ante, Inc. Giannis is the chairman of the board.
Dylan Wondra is the president and CEO of Ante, Inc. Kostas Tsigkourakos is the chief financial officer and chief operating officer. George Panou is the chief marketing officer.
“We are extremely grateful for all of the opportunities that we have,” said Thanasis Antetokounmpo. “All of my brother’s continue to work hard both on and off the court, and I feel this is the right moment in our lives to launch Ante, Inc.”
In 2023, Ante, Inc. will have a physical presence in both the United States and Greece, where the Antetokounmpo family lived (and where all of the brothers were born) before Giannis was drafted by the Bucks. Friday’s announcement also hinted at the possibility of more locations in the future.
“As the family never stops learning and growing on the court, they also have the same ambitions to grow off the court,” reads the release.
Giannis announced the launch of the business on Twitter:
I have had success on the court, and I continue to work harder every day to get better, but I understand it is important to build success off the court as well. Ante, Inc. is just the beginning. My Family is building a business that we can be proud of. I have had the privilege of…
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) June 2, 2023
