Pita Taufatofua has become one of the most recognizable Olympic figures over the past two years after he served as Tonga’s flag bearer in Rio and PyeongChang, and he may have plans to cash in on that in the near future.
Taufatofua was stopped by a TMZ cameraman at LAX this week, and he was asked if he has any plans to do modeling shoots now that the Olympics have concluded. The 34-year-old did not rule it out.
“You never know. I’m here in L.A. You never know what’s gonna happen,” he said. “Stay tuned. We’ve got a few things lined up, so we’re just gonna see what eventuates.”
Taufatofua, who is a native of Australia, added that making money is not as important to him as representing a company with good morals.
“I’m about brands that actually help people and help people feel good,” he said. “The clothing that they wear makes them feel good — corporate responsibility and social responsibility. I want a responsible brand that helps people. It’s not interesting for me unless other people are being lifted up.”
If you saw what Taufatofua was able to accomplish in skiing at the Winter Olympics, you know he can pretty much do anything he sets his mind to. Given all the attention he got for going shirtless and oiled up during two opening ceremonies, it’s probably safe to assume plenty of companies would want him as an endorser.
