... and two of his share bets slump

DAVID Beckham may have become the first footballer to build a personal global brand – but he’s scored an own goal on the stock market.

Two investments in Londonlisted firms have suffered a painful sell-off despite occupying fast-growing markets.

Beckham was a founding investor in Guild Esports in 2019, which went on to float a year later.

The firm has lurched from one problem to the next, including recently revealing that a multimillion pound sponsorship deal with a European financial technology company had failed to materialise. Its shares were floated in October 2020 at 8.15p and have since tumbled by 78 per cent to 1.8p yesterday. Beckham holds a 4.7 per cent stake in the firm.

Cannabis oil company Cellular Goods has also been a flop, despite a promising start.

It floated at 5p in London in February last year and the share price shot up to 19p on its debut, but it has since plummeted by 85 per cent to 2.75p.

The company – in which Beckham has a 5 per cent holding – makes cannabidiol (CBD) capsules, drops and sprays for up to £49 a pack, but has had persistent problems over being able to advertise online.

Last week it was also forced to admit that its CBD products may have to be withdrawn from shop shelves, following discussions with the Food Standards Agency.

The stock market punts are unlikely to create much of a dent in the overall fortunes of Beckham and his wife Victoria, each estimated to be worth £350 million. Their wealth stems from a range of ventures and sponsorship deals from fashion to toiletries.