Jamaican global sports star and Olympic legend, Usain Bolt has bought into Irish esports organization, WYLDE and is now a co-owner.

The company made the announcement in a news release yesterday (March 30), pointing out that as part of the entity, Bolt will support the organisation’s mission to identify, empower and support talent whilst adopting a strong commitment to diversity and inclusivity. 

As a co-owner and an active member of the leadership team, Bolt will also be involved in a range of activities focused on elevating WYLDE’s brand. For his part Bolt was elated at buying into the Irish company.

He commented that, “WYLDE is on a journey to becoming one of the biggest brands in the fastest growing sport in the world. In esports, like in track and field, it’s critical to have that competitive, winning mentality. I look forward to working with the WYLDE leadership team to help our players to reach their potential, while also taking care of their physical and mental wellbeing.”

David Cronin, who holds the position of co-founder of WYLDE, is excited at Bolt joining the company positing that, “Usain coming on board takes WYLDE to the next level. With his vast competitive experience and Olympic-winning mentality, his guidance will be invaluable as we continue to build professional structures to support the development of our players.” 

The release explained that the organisation is currently engaged in sponsorship discussions with a number of global brands focused on entering the esports industry.

About WYLDE

Based in Dublin, Ireland, WYLDE was founded two years ago by Steve Daly and David Cronin. In the past, Daly was an investment banker at JP Morgan while Cronin was the president and CEO of the American Ireland Funds and a founding shareholder of Irish tech company, QUMAS.

WYLDE currently has teams competing in Rainbow Six Siege, VALORANT, Rocket League and FIFA. In 2021, WYLDE established an academy to nurture gaming talent by organising community tournaments; providing professional coaching to young talent; and hosting a number of WYLDE boot camps across Europe.

In partnership with Bolt, WYLDE plans to host a Jamaican boot camp later this year.

Having retired from athletics in 2017, Bolt has decided to take the next step by supporting an up and coming esports organisation like WYLDE.  Bolt’s guidance will definitely benefit WYLDE as a brand given the athlete’s popularity.