Accumulated profits at the main firm owned by Irish rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll last year increased to €10.68m, new accounts show.
Abridged accounts filed by O’Driscoll’s O.D.M. and Promotions Ltd to the Companies Office show the company recorded post tax profits of €217,379 in the 12 months to the end of August last.
The post tax profits were down 73% on the post tax profits of €810,463 for 2023.
The decrease is partly explained by pay to directors more than doubling from €212,707 to €446,424 due to the firm making pension contributions of €284,225 into the directors’ pension pot compared to a zero contribution in 2023.
Cash funds at the company last year decreased sharply from €2.14m to €795,403 and this coincided with the company making additions of €2.47m to its financial assets rising from €5.9m to €8.6m.
The rise in value of financial assets takes into account a write-down of €91,486.
Separate accounts lodged by his wife, Amy Huberman’s ASM Entertainment show that accumulated profits increased to €1.43m in the 12 months to the end of August last.
This followed Ms Huberman’s entertainment firm recorded post tax profits of €143,075 after reporting post tax profits of €233,628 in 2023.
Cash funds at the company plunged from €1.07m to €502,239 and this coincided with the company adding €700,000 to its financial assets rising from €178,009 to €906,009.
Away from her acting and writing career, Ms Huberman – who featured on Amazon Prime Video’s Last One Laughing Ireland in the year under review – continues to be a favourite of companies building their brands.
Ms Huberman’s popularity with the Irish public is confirmed with a combined audience of over 926,000 on the Dubliner’s X and Instagram accounts and in March of this year the Dubliner launched her own wine brand, Ah Wines.
The profits at O’Driscoll’s ODM and Promotions for 2024 show that O’Driscoll – now 46 – continues to retain stellar earning power – 11 years after retiring from the game of professional rugby.
The company has investment properties with a book value of €1m and a note states that the investment properties are rented residences.
The firm has consistently recorded strong profits in recent years and the profits of 2024 and 2023 following profits of €641,383 in 2022, €874,120 in 2021 and €899,710 in 2020.
O’Driscoll – currently in Australia to watch tomorrow’s Lions Test match against Australia – works as a pundit for TNT Sports, Off The Ball and is a HSBC Sports Ambassador.
The firm employs three and pay to staff at the company, which includes directors, last year increased from €348,754 to €617,800 made up of wages and salaries of €316,522, pension payments of €284,225 and €17,053 in social insurance costs.
The firm’s financial assets are made up of €6.4m in listed investments; €679,906 in participating interests and €1.58m in other investments other than loans.
The €679,906 in participating investments relates to a 33.3% investment in White Water LLC, a New York limited liability company.
O’Driscoll ended his decorated playing career with Ireland and Leinster in 2014 and the ODM & Promotions Ltd’s only other director is O’Driscoll’s father, Frank.
The two signed off on the accounts on July 15.
O’Driscoll, then aged 22, established the ODM firm in 2001 as part of his bid to capitalise on being the most marketable Irish player of the modern rugby era.
During an illustrious playing career, O’Driscoll won one Grand Slam with Ireland, three European Heineken Cups with Leinster and was capped 133 times by Ireland scoring 46 tries.
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
