A few months ago, we mourned the death of a Queen, an icon of the Monarchy in England. Today, we mourn the death of a King, not by noble blood but his wizardry on the field.
Born in Brazil on the 23 of Oct 1940, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, otherwise known fondly as Pele, enthralled us on the football field. Known as the greatest soccer player ever, he won 3 world cups (1958, 1962, 1970).
Yet despite his achievements, he always remained down to earth, humble and kind.
Unlike some players of today, the biggest thing about Pele was not his ego, but his heart. He used his fame as a player to become a UNESCO Ambassador and prompted several charities. Although he was not perfect, he was known as a affable person who gave a voice to the poor.
"The game. The King. Eternity." ~ Emmanuel Macron, President of France.
"Everything you see any player doing, Pelé did it first." ~ Erling Haarland, Manchester City Player.
Tributes came from players and statesmen alike, people who have been touched and enchanted by his football skills and humility.
In this dog-eat-dog world today, we could do more with a humble smile.
For us as investors, his humility is indeed something we can learn from. While we aspire to be good, and even great in investing, let us not forget to help us others as Pele has done. Perhaps it is also a fitting tribute as the year of one of the greatest World Cups comes to a close as we also recognise in memory, one of the greatest players the World has seen.
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