Last updated: August 2026
| Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed — estimated in the $2 million-$4 million range |
| Born | February 11, 1996 |
| Profession | Professional Footballer (Forward, Damac FC) |
| Nationality | 🇨🇮 Ivorian |
Yakou Meite is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Damac. Best known for a prolific seven-year spell at English club Reading, his net worth is not publicly disclosed but is reasonably estimated in the low millions of dollars, built from over a decade in English football and international appearances for Ivory Coast.
Early Life & Family
Meite was born on February 11, 1996, in Paris, France, to Ivorian parents. He joined Paris Saint-Germain’s academy at age 13, progressing through PSG’s youth system from 2009 to 2014.
Rise to Fame
Meite played for Paris Saint-Germain’s reserve team from 2013 to 2016, scoring 8 goals in 45 matches, before making his Ligue 1 debut for the PSG first team as a substitute against Guingamp on April 9, 2016. He left for England shortly afterward, signing a three-year deal with Reading on July 29, 2016, where he developed into a regular goalscorer, including a spell on loan at Sochaux in Ligue 2 during the 2017-18 season.
Career History
Meite spent seven seasons at Reading (2016-2023), making 156 league appearances and scoring 42 goals, with a highlight of four goals in a single match, a 5-0 win over Luton Town in July 2020; his goal tally reached double figures in three separate campaigns. After his Reading contract expired, he signed with Cardiff City in July 2023, making 72 appearances and scoring five goals across two seasons before departing when that contract ended in June 2025. He joined Saudi Pro League club Damac in August 2025. Internationally, Meite made his debut for Ivory Coast on March 26, 2019, in a 1-0 win over Liberia, and has earned senior caps for the Elephants.
How They Built Their Wealth
Meite’s income has come from a combination of Ligue 1 and Championship-level wages during his long Reading and Cardiff City spells, followed by a Saudi Pro League contract with Damac, which typically pays significantly more than English second-tier football. No transfer fees or salary figures have been publicly disclosed for any of his moves.
Personal Life
Meite was born and raised in France to Ivorian parents and chose to represent Ivory Coast, his parents’ home country, at international level rather than France.
Yakou Meite’s net worth is not officially published, but based on more than a decade as a professional footballer across France, England and Saudi Arabia, it is reasonably estimated at $2 million to $4 million.