Good Bad Billionaire: Ben Francis – UK’s Youngest Billionaire

Podcast: Good Bad Billionaire – BBC World Service
Episode Date: February 2, 2026
Hosts: Simon Jack (BBC Business Editor) & Zing Tsjeng (Journalist, Author, Podcaster)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the meteoric rise of Ben Francis, founder of Gymshark and the UK’s youngest self-made billionaire. Hosts Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng unravel Ben’s unconventional journey—from pizza delivery boy to leading a global fitness apparel brand. They analyse his motivations, business strategies, stumbles, controversies, and philanthropy, ultimately debating: is Ben Francis a “good, bad, or just another billionaire”?

1. Ben Francis’s Origin Story

[01:22–07:44]

• Early Life in Bromsgrove (UK):
  • Born 1992, modest family background—mum a nurse, dad a telecom project manager ([04:06]).
  • Huge Aston Villa fan; first dream was football, then shifted to computers ([04:17]).
• Working-Class Grit:
  • At 14, worked with grandad lining furnaces; learned the value of hard labor and risk ([04:28]).
  • Grandfather’s story about risking the family home inspired Ben’s risk appetite ([04:56]).
• Academic Struggles:
  • “Not a star student”, barely scraped back into school after poor grades; mother advocated for him ([05:16]).
  • Business & IT studies at 6th Form were life-changing—teaches himself web/app development ([05:42]).
  • Partnership with future co-founder Lewis Morgan started in class ([05:42]).
• Discovering the Gym:
  • Skinny, bullied as a teen; gym and weightlifting became transformative.
  • “If you show up every day for a year, you’d be better off” – discipline led to university and business ([06:18]).
  • Fitness became core identity: “It changed my entire life.” ([06:18]).

Quote:

“I think that gave me an appetite for risk taking… I didn’t want to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps in a warehouse for the rest of my life.” — Ben Francis (paraphrased by Zing, [04:56])

2. Hustle and the Birth of Gymshark

[07:44–13:44]

• Side Hustles Funded by Pizza Deliveries:
  • Built various fitness apps powered by £3 domain names and funded by Pizza Hut delivery wages ([07:44]).
  • First fitness tracking app yielded about £8,000 ([07:44]).
• Tech Revolution Enables Startups:
  • “Barriers to entry” much lower in the digital age ([08:07]).
  • Four apps and six websites later, Gymshark emerges as the 7th idea ([08:46]).
• Gymshark’s Modest Beginnings:
  • Started as a dropshipping website for supplements, making just £2 profit on a sale ([08:59], [09:28]).
  • “Best £2 I’d ever made” – feeling of legitimacy ([09:45]).
• Pivotal Move to Apparel:
  • Gut feeling: Gymshark needed presence at the Body Power Expo ([10:07]).
  • Invests all savings (£3,000) in the cheapest expo stand ([10:29]), with a year to prepare.
• Identifying a Market Gap:
  • No UK brand offered gym wear that Ben and friends wanted; American styles were “baggy and boxy”; European brands too fashionable ([10:41]).
  • DIY approach: bought a sewing machine, learned from grandma, began making vests, shirts, and hoodies ([12:02]).

Quote:

“…he personally sold between 500 and 1000 shirts… juggling full-time uni, delivering pizzas, running Gymshark, answering emails between deliveries.” — Simon ([13:20])

3. Disrupting the Fitness Wear Industry

[13:44–20:37]

• 2013 Body Power Expo: The Breakthrough
  • Upgraded to a bigger stand, paid YouTube bodybuilders to represent Gymshark—an early influencer marketing play ([14:11], [14:31]).
  • Customers invited to lift weights with Gymshark team, building lasting community ([14:57], [15:17]).
  • Creating intentional scarcity by turning off the website during the Expo, making the first day back a £30,000 sales windfall ([15:39], [16:25]).
  • “Literally running around my mum and dad’s living room in disbelief” — Ben ([16:47]).
• From Handmade to a Real Business:
  • Hired brother Joe to pack orders; recognized productivity jump with just one hire ([17:21]).
  • Nickname “Hurricane Ben”—known for being demanding and sometimes erratic ([17:39]).
  • Brought in retail veteran Paul Richardson for management guidance ([17:59]).
• Ben’s 360-Degree Feedback Moment:
  • Staff called him “hot headed, arrogant, poor manager”—prompted self-reflection ([18:17]).
  • Stepped down as CEO; brought in Steve Hewitt (ex-Reebok) to run operations ([19:01]).
  • Ben became Chief Brand Officer, focusing on vision, branding, and social strategy ([20:01]).

Quote:

“That 360 feedback is the most you thing I’ve ever read.” — Ben’s wife to Ben, on negative staff reviews ([18:39])

4. Social Media Strategy: Influencers Before Influencing Was Cool

[20:37–25:52]

• Early Adopter of Influencer Marketing:
  • Paid fitness influencers instead of big sports stars; relatable, democratized marketing ([20:37]).
  • Gymshark’s organic Instagram/Facebook growth paralleled rise of visual social media ([20:54]).
  • Gymshark’s early use of “eventification” – pop-up meetups, bringing the online community into real life ([23:41], [24:00]).
• Face of the Brand:
  • Ben, an introvert, makes consistent behind-the-scenes YouTube and blog content; becomes a “business influencer” ([25:29], [25:52]).
  • “Hustle culture” figure for Gen Z—embodying discipline, entrepreneurship, and self-improvement ([26:07]).

Quote:

“He’s a really interesting throwback in some ways who’s got rich with very modern tools.” — Zing ([45:16])

5. Scaling Up: From Millionaire to Billionaire

[23:04–32:13]

• Explosive Growth:
  • Fastest-growing private company in UK (Sunday Times, 2016): 194% annual growth ([21:54]).
  • Profits rose from £1.5m (2016) to £8m (2017) ([22:18]).
  • By 25, Ben is a millionaire; by 30, one of only four self-made billionaires under 30 worldwide ([22:37], [32:23]).
• Headquarters and Staff:
  • In 2018, opens state-of-the-art HQ in Solihull (“lifting club” gym, cinema, napping pods) ([23:04], [23:22]).
  • Staff swells; events build the real-world community.
• Equity, Valuations, and Deals:
  • 2020: Sells 21% stake to General Atlantic (US private equity), valuing Gymshark at £1+ billion; Ben increases stake to 70% ([28:04]).
  • Notes risk of “losing mystique” when brands grow via big investment ([28:43]).

Quote:

“When Ben got home and turned the website back on, in 30 minutes gymshark.com achieved more traffic and sales than they had in their entire existence.” — Simon ([16:25])

6. Controversies & Setbacks

[32:13–38:29]

• Personal Life:
  • Married Robin Gallant, a Canadian fitness influencer/scientist, in 2021 ([29:31]).
  • Women become Gymshark’s primary market (2/3 of sales by early 2020s) ([30:02]).
• Leadership Return:
  • Reassumes CEO role in 2021, citing growth in maturity/experience ([30:59]).
• Physical Stores:
  • Opens flagship Regent Street store in 2022—“a billboard” more than a sales channel ([32:01]).
  • Expands with stores in NYC, Dubai ([32:13]).
• Controversies:
  • 2020: Media surfaces 2016 video of Ben snorting cocaine; public apology issued—minimal reputational impact ([27:11]).
  • 2023: Influencer Alex Earl sues over cancelled partnership after Israel/Palestine post; lawsuit setted out of court ([37:00]).
  • Co-founder Lewis Morgan’s exit shrouded in “skeletons in the closet”—details undisclosed ([21:35]).

Quote:

“You get a million bucks for that? …Imagine what Kim Kardashian and one of the Jenner kids are getting—millions.” — Zing ([37:35])

7. Present & Future: Philanthropy, Power, and Legacy

[38:29–46:03]

• Financials:
  • 2023: Revenue $800m+, Ben’s stake valued at $1.2–$1.4 billion ([32:23], [39:06]).
  • Recent profits halved—investment in marketing and physical stores cited ([36:03]).
• Philanthropy:
  • First patron of Birmingham Women's and Children’s Hospital Charity; £180,000 raised via Gymshark’s “NHS Sweaty Selfie” campaign ([42:33]).
  • “All my wealth is just on paper”—Ben distances himself from “super-rich” identity ([43:06]).
  • “He was the youngest among the UK’s taxpayers… Free education, free health care, paid my mum’s salary.” — Ben, on being UK taxpayer ([43:31]).
• Status and Ambition:
  • 650k+ Instagram followers, 300k+ on TikTok/YouTube ([39:06]).
  • Not a celebrity CEO, but a visible, “plainspoken” influencer for a new generation ([40:19], [40:02]).
  • Goal: “Gymshark to the UK what Nike is to the US and Adidas to Germany”—massive ambition ([38:03]).
• Community-as-Marketing:
  • Gymshark’s “cult of personality” built on ordinary relatability + authenticity ([40:14]).

Quote:

“He’s inspired by these huge historic British brands like Land Rover and Cadbury’s… and says his goal is to make Gymshark last 100 years.” — Simon ([45:04])

8. Good, Bad, or Just a Billionaire?—The Hosts’ “Scorecard”

[41:26–46:12]

• Wealth:
  • Simon: 6/10 (“Working-class roots, good idea, modern tools—almost a movie biopic.”)
  • Zing: 5/10 (“Anyone can make it with an idea and digital marketing.”)
• Controversy:
  • Both: 1/10 (“Cocaine scandal, lawsuit, co-founder exit—minor in billionaire terms.”)
• Philanthropy:
  • Zing: 5/10 (“Genuine but small-scale, only recently rich.”)
  • Simon: 4/10 (“Could do more.”)
• Power & Legacy:
  • Both: 4/10 (“Not White House level; visible, but tiny compared to Nike/Adidas.”)

Overall Tone:
Admiration for Ben’s humility, savvy, and courage to step aside and later retake the reins. His approach is a blend of old-fashioned work ethic and digital-era strategy. Controversies and charity giving rank as minor or genuine but limited.

Most Notable Quote:

“He’s such an interesting combination of old-fashioned homespun pride in doing a good job, and he’s built it in the modern way where basically the sky’s the limit.” — Zing ([45:16])

9. Memorable Moments & Quotes: Quick List

• On turning off the website at the Expo:
  “In 30 minutes, gymshark.com achieved more traffic and sales than they had in their entire existence.” ([16:25])

• On 360-degree feedback:
  “‘Hot headed, arrogant, poor manager...’ that was the most you thing I’ve ever read.” — Ben’s wife ([18:39])

• On UK education and taxes:
  "This country and its taxes afforded me a free education, free health care... as the child of a nurse, it also paid my mum’s salary. I'm nothing but proud that we contribute to the country in every way that we can." — Ben (as paraphrased by Zing, [43:31])

10. Key Timestamps

• [01:22]: Pizza boy intro—humble beginnings
• [04:06–05:42]: Family/work values and school struggles
• [07:44–08:59]: Coding, apps, and Gymshark’s creation story
• [10:07–10:41]: The Body Power Expo—life-changing pivot to apparel
• [12:02–13:12]: DIY sewing, learning from grandma
• [16:25]: Viral moment—site sales 100x overnight
• [18:17–19:01]: 360 feedback and Ben stepping down as CEO
• [20:37–20:52]: Inventing social-media influencer marketing for gymwear
• [27:11]: Cocaine video scandal and response
• [28:04]: $1bn+ valuation and private equity deal
• [32:01]: Move into bricks & mortar stores
• [36:03]: Profits halved as growth stalls
• [37:00]: Influencer lawsuit (Alex Earl) controversy
• [38:03]: Ben's ambition—Gymshark as UK’s Nike
• [41:26–46:12]: “Good, Bad, or Just a Billionaire?” scores

Final Thoughts

The Ben Francis story is a showcase of digital era entrepreneurship—blending self-discipline, tech-savvy community building, bold risks, and humility about sudden wealth. While he faces typical modern-day CEO controversies, his relatability and hands-on leadership mark him as a generational role model for aspiring business leaders. As Simon and Zing conclude, “We’re only in the middle of the story,” with Francis’s ambition set on making Gymshark a lasting global giant.

Listener verdict is still open:
Is Ben Francis a “good, bad, or just another billionaire”? The show asks for your feedback at goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com.

Next Episode Sneak Peek:
Panda Express founder Peggy Chung—find out how she made her billions introducing orange chicken to America!