Gennady Chaly wants to buy a ready business after hockey

Gennady Chaly, a defenceman in the Lokomotiv system, said he wants to go into business once hockey is over, and that buying an existing company appeals to him more than building one. The comments come from an interview published by Sports.ru.

Asked which people from any era Chaly would like to meet, the answer was Nikola Tesla, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Chaly would ask Tesla about the electric car. "There is a theory that he built one back in 1931," Chaly said. Musk would not be asked how he became a trillionist: "I more or less understand that myself. Elon simply bought a company, sold it to himself and did that several times." From Musk and Bezos, Chaly would want to know how to build a successful business, why they chose their fields and how they got through hard times.

"I understand that hockey is a short-lived thing," Chaly said. "Honestly, to stew in this sport for more than 40-50 years is too much. I consider myself a well-rounded person, so I don't mind trying my hand at other fields in the future, if finances allow."

Chaly named Arnold Schwarzenegger as an example: "a bodybuilder from Austria who ended up one of the highest-paid actors in the world and governor of California. Stories like that inspire me."

The interviewer pointed to Bob Hartley, who has a business in Canada buying land and selling property. Chaly ruled that route out. "That doesn't suit me. What are the tasks of such a businessman? Buy cheaper, sell higher. On top of that, a building site has to be checked constantly, and you have to trust different people with your money."

Chaly's preference is a business that already works. "I thought that the easiest thing is to buy a ready business that just lacks a certain push, rather than create everything from scratch." Chaly cited Ryan Reynolds, who bought part of a business, advertised it, helped it expand and then sold the shares.

Chaly gave no timeline and named no sector. If the plan holds, this may mean a search for a small company in need of investment and promotion, once the playing career ends.