Known for the podcast The Diary of a CEO, being the youngest member on the Dragon’s Den panel and a marketing genius, you might be wondering what Steven Bartlett’s net worth is.
Although Bartlett doesn’t come near the richest person in the world, his accumulated wealth is impressive – especially since he reached millionaire status in his mid-twenties.
While there is no exact figure on how much he is currently worth, previous reports claim his net worth was around £71 million at the mere age of 26 (he’s now 32). As the entrepreneur has continued to invest in businesses and his podcast, we expect this figure to have grown quite significantly.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Find out how Bartlett uses his business acumen and personality as his recipe for success.
Who is Steven Bartlett?
Steven Bartlett is a jack of many trades – but much of his success is down to his personal branding. It’s very fitting for someone who started off in the marketing world. As a result, the entrepreneur made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2020, and has impressed as a speaker on Ted Talks and at the United Nations. If we rewind some years, though, Bartlett was a young guy building a business from his bedroom, in Manchester.
Bartlett was born in Botswana in 1992 and moved to Plymouth, England, at the age of two. In 2010, he went to Manchester Metropolitan University but dropped out in the first year, as he decided to work on his business idea. His first venture, launched in 2013, was an online messaging board for students called Wallpark. It allowed them to share events and sell textbooks on the site.
A year later, Bartlett co-founded the marketing agency Social Chain with Dominic McGregor, at the age of 22. The agency pulled in global brands, from Apple and KFC to McDonalds. By the age of 23, Bartlett reached millionaire status. In 2019, Social Chain was publicly listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, after merging with German online retailer Lumaland AG. That company, ‘The Social Chain AG’ listed with a market valuation of more than $200 million, according to Forbes. In 2020, aged 27, Bartlett stepped down as co-CEO of Social Chain AG.
Fast forward to 2023 and media group Brave Bison acquired The Social Chain AG in a £7.7 million deal – but it’s not certain if Bartlett made anything from this buyout. Bartlett has said the decision to move away from Social Chain was to make room for other ventures – one of which ended up being his successful podcast, The Diary of a CEO.
Steven Bartlett and The Diary of a CEO
The show hit the number-one spot on Apple’s most popular podcasts of 2023. It’s called “Europe’s biggest podcast” on Bartlett’s website and continues to feature on Spotify’s podcast chart. Bartlett reportedly made $1.2 million from his podcast in 2021. So, how did the podcast come about?
In the midst of heading up Social Chain, Bartlett aired the first episode of his podcast. He says on his site that it was just a “one-off experiment”. Now, the podcast is renowned for having inspirational guests on the show, talking about all things success, career, self-improvement and relationships. Bartlett’s guests this year have included Elon Musk, Boris Johnson, Simon Cowell and Michael Bublé. As of 16 October, The Diary of a CEO has 7.65 million subscribers.
Bartlett leveraged the brand and released a book last year, called The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life. The book went on to become a No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller. According to the BBC, the entrepreneur also partnered with the Prison Service so that his book could be given to inmates, to educate and inspire them. Prior to this, in 2021, the entrepreneur released his first book called Happy Sexy Millionaire, which was also a Sunday Times bestseller. The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business & Life has been translated into 35 different languages. Off the back of this book, Bartlett tours the UK with his speaking tour.
Steven Bartlett’s investments
After stepping down from Social Chain, Bartlett moved into the world of investments in 2021.
He co-founded and launched a software platform called Thirdweb with Furqan Rydhan, which aids entrepreneurs in building and managing web3 apps. The platform is backed by Coinbase and Shopify. According to Private Equity Wire, Thirdweb was valued at $160 million in 2022, and within nine months, 55,000 users took advantage of the platform’s tools. As a result, Thirdweb was generating revenue of more than $1.5 million each week. But the fund has come under criticism recently by one crowdfunding forum, The Times reported, stating that it hasn’t been transparent with investors.
In the same year, Bartlett launched and co-founded a marketing investment company called Flight Group. It backs and invests in innovative companies. Within Flight Group sit three separate entities – Flight Fund (that invests in biotech, blockchain, technology, health and wellbeing, commerce and space), Flight Story (a marketing company) and Flight Studio, which was created to follow on from the success of Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO, and will create more podcasts.
Steven Bartlett on Dragons’ Den
Also in 2021, Bartlett became the youngest “dragon” to join the BBC’s Dragons’ Den panel. He was just 28 when he sat alongside Peter Jones, Sara Davies and Deborah Meaden. According to the BBC, Bartlett has pledged nearly £2 million to invest ‘in the Den’. One of his more recent investments on the show was a matcha energy drink called Perfect Ted, which aired on series 20.
-
Why undersea cables are under threat – and how to protect themUndersea cables power the internet and are vital to modern economies. They are now vulnerable
-
Vanguard to bring in £4 minimum monthly fee - is it still a cheap deal?Vanguard is overhauling its charges, with DIY investors set to pay more from January. How will the fees compare to its rivals, and what should customers do?
