Cristiano Ronaldo has become both an investor and global partner of Perplexity, in what is arguably the highest‑profile crossover yet between elite sport and the new generation of AI search platforms. The announcement was made by Perplexity’s leadership and by Ronaldo himself through social posts and a dedicated “Perplexity x CR7” experience on the product.
What the deal includes
Perplexity says this is not a simple sponsorship but a long‑term equity partnership.
- Ronaldo has taken a direct stake in Perplexity; deal size isn’t public but is described as a “significant” investment within his broader tech portfolio.
- He will serve as a global brand ambassador and product partner, fronting campaigns around curiosity, preparation and high performance.
- Perplexity has launched a “Perplexity x CR7” / “Ronaldo Hub” — a curated AI experience that lets fans explore his career, records and key moments through interactive queries rather than static bios.
Perplexity also notes that Ronaldo was already a power user before investing, crediting the tool for helping draft speeches such as his Prestige Globe Awards address.
Why this is such a big deal for Perplexity
It is one of the fastest‑rising AI search/answer engines, valued at about $20 billion after a recent $200 million Series D and earlier rounds that lifted it from $14 billion to $18 billion within months. It has raised roughly $1.2–1.5 billion from investors including Nvidia , SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2, Accel and IVP, and is positioning itself as a leading rival to ChatGPT‑style assistants and traditional search.
Ronaldo brings:
- Unmatched global reach: With more than 1 billion followers across platforms, he is widely cited as the most‑followed athlete on earth. Even modest conversion from that audience could dramatically expand Perplexity’s mainstream user base.
- Brand elevation: Academic and industry work on athlete–platform tie‑ups shows that celebrity‑backed tech startups enjoy higher traffic, faster early adoption and better survival odds than peers, particularly when the partnership is equity‑based rather than pure endorsement.
- Signal of consumer trust: Ronaldo’s framing of Perplexity as a tool he relies on in “high‑stakes moments” (award speeches, big announcements) helps position the product as not just a toy, but a trusted assistant for serious professionals.
For Perplexity, the deal fuses elite performance with AI: curiosity, constant improvement and preparation become the shared narrative between the brand and its new partner.
Winners never stop learning. Never stop asking. @perplexity_ai #Ad pic.twitter.com/oDAQcUdSbZ
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) December 4, 2025
Why it matters for AI and athlete investing
Ronaldo is part of a broader wave of star athletes building tech investment portfolios, but this move stands out because it targets the core frontier of AI search, not just lifestyle or consumer apps. As research on athlete‑led ventures notes, top players are increasingly using digital platforms and generative AI to bypass traditional media, build direct‑to‑fan brands and back technologies that reinforce that loop.
By taking equity in a leading AI engine, Ronaldo is:
- Hedging beyond sports and endorsements into infrastructure‑level tech.
- Tying his personal brand to the future of how people search, learn and prepare.
- Helping normalise AI assistants for mainstream, non‑tech audiences—from football fans to casual internet users.
For the broader AI landscape, a partnership at this scale is a strong cultural proof‑point that “answer engines” have moved from niche tools to mass‑market platforms. Specifically, Cristiano Ronaldo’s investment and ambassador role combines capital, distribution and symbolic endorsement in a way that could significantly accelerate its race against both legacy search giants and new AI rivals.
