The Munich startup FITrate announced on Saturday that Philipp Lahm had joined the company with a seven-figure sum. Lahm apparently doesn't find the April Fool's joke funny, however — according to Bild, his management is considering legal action.
The sports information service reported last Saturday: "Lahm new major investor in Munich startup." The news sounds plausible, After all, Philipp Lahm has already appeared as a startup investorThe message was launched by the Munich-based startup itself and included a quote from the 2014 World Champion: "I believe in the guys, and the idea of a sports flat rate suits me perfectly as an athlete."
The problem: It's all just an April Fool's joke! The report is false, and so is the alleged quote. Philipp Lahm's management finds it less funny. Lahm's advisor Roman Grill said to Bild:
"This isn't a joke. In our eyes, it's a cheap gimmick to use a celebrity to advertise."
If necessary, Lahm could demand royalties from the startup for advertising with his name.
Late regret
The startup expressed its remorse to Bild. A spokesperson told the paper:
“We didn’t want to upset anyone with the April Fools’ joke and never expected it to cause such a stir.”
Then FITrate can only hope that Philipp Lahm will let the failed joke rest — and that the startup will again real success stories is making a name for itself.
