[5] Duchâtelet used to own a group of football clubs, but remains as the main shareholder of only one presently: Carl Zeiss Jena (Germany, D4).

His ownership was met with widespread protests from Charlton supporters,[11][12] who formed the Coalition Against Roland Duchâtelet (CARD) and Women Against the Regime (WAR).

[14] In 1993, Duchâtelet wrote a book NV België, verslag aan de aandeelhouders (Joint stock company Belgium, a report to the shareholders), published in early 1994.

[citation needed] In the movie La vie politique des Belges (2002) by Jan Bucquoy, Duchâtelet is depicted in Vivant's 1999 election campaign.

In 2004, Vivant entered a political alliance with the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (VLD) and Duchâtelet published his second book De weg naar meer netto binnenlands geluk (The road to more net domestic happiness).