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Report: Cristiano Ronaldo sold Ballon d’Or trophy to Israel’s wealthiest person

Idan Ofer, Israel’s richest man, bought the award for around $645,000—which was donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Cristiano Ronaldo of FC Real Madrid during the match of UEFA Champions League against FC Shakhtar at the Arena Lviv stadium on Nov. 25, 2015 in Lviv, Ukraine. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Cristiano Ronaldo of FC Real Madrid during the match of UEFA Champions League against FC Shakhtar at the Arena Lviv stadium on Nov. 25, 2015 in Lviv, Ukraine. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

A new report has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2013 Ballon d’Or prize was auctioned off for charity in 2017, collecting roughly $645,000 from Israel’s richest man, Idan Ofer, for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

According to Marca, with the original trophy apparently on display at his Madeira museum, Ronaldo explicitly requested that a copy be produced to sell at a charity auction in London.

Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Ors, an annual soccer trophy given by the French news magazine France Football since 1956.

Ofer, who made his claimed $9.8 billion wealth through a combination of mining, shipping and energy businesses, eventually transitioned into the sports business.

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