With an initial valuation of €223 million ($AU373 million), the move allows investors to buy into Messi’s growing property empire.
Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, is said to has amassed a net worth estimated at $US650 million ($AU1.05 billion) over his illustrious career.
His real estate portfolio reflects this success, including seven hotels, shops, offices, and residential properties spread across Spain, Andorra, London, and Paris.
Each share in Edificio Rostower Socimi is priced at €57.40 ($AU96.09). The listing coincides with Spain’s favourable tax environment for REITs, which benefit from a zero per cent corporate tax rate, provided they are listed and distribute 80% of their income as dividends.
Messi’s firm became a REIT in mid-December, just days after a Spanish parliamentary proposal to increase taxes on such entities was blocked.
Unlike traditional listings aimed at raising capital, Spanish REITs often list to maximise tax advantages.
Edificio Rostower’s assets include several high-profile properties, including the Hotel MiM Ibiza es Vivé, an adults-only Art Deco hotel on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza.
Most of the firm’s properties are in Catalonia, where Messi spent much of his career with FC Barcelona.
The decision to list Edificio Rostower Socimi was executed quickly, with the trust appearing on the Portfolio Stock Exchange just weeks after becoming a REIT.
Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, serves as the board’s vice-president, alongside key figures like Alfonso Nebot, who manages Messi’s family office, and Ramon Adell, a director at Spanish energy company Naturgy.
