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Steven Bartlett is a British entrepreneur, investor, and podcaster, best known as the founder of Social Chain and the host of The Diary of a CEO. He is the youngest investor on BBC's Dragons' Den and chairman of Flight Group, a multi-vertical media and investment holding company.
Steven Bartlett is a British entrepreneur, investor, and media figure who has become a leading voice in the global creator economy. [16][17] He first gained prominence as the co-founder of Social Chain. This social media marketing agency merged with Lumaland in 2019 at a valuation of approximately £200 million. Bartlett currently hosts The Diary of a CEO. [1][3][4][5][6][7][8][17][18][19] This show is ranked among the world's most downloaded business podcasts. [9] It won the 2026 iHeart Podcast Award for Best Business & Finance Podcast. [5] He serves as the chairman of Flight Group. This multi-vertical media and investment holding company includes Flight Story and Flight Studio. [5][20] In 2025, his creator holding company, Steven.com, reached a valuation of $425 million. [5][16][17][20] As the youngest investor on the BBC series Dragons' Den, he has backed high-growth startups such as Huel, Zoe, and PerfectTed. His influence extends to the technology sector through his co-founding of the Web3 platform Thirdweb and investments in artificial intelligence ventures.
Steven Bartlett is a British entrepreneur, investor, and media figure known for founding the social media agency Social Chain and hosting the global podcast The Diary of a CEO. [21][22][23][24][25] Born in Botswana and raised in Plymouth, England, he briefly attended Manchester Metropolitan University before dropping out to pursue business ventures. In 2014, he co-founded Social Chain, which grew into a leading social media marketing firm with offices in Manchester, Berlin, London, and New York. The company merged with Lumaland AG in 2019 to form Social Chain AG and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with a valuation exceeding 200 million euros. Bartlett stepped down as CEO in 2020 to focus on new projects.
In 2017, Bartlett launched The Diary of a CEO, which evolved from a personal project into one of the world's most popular podcasts. By 2025, Spotify ranked it as the second most popular podcast globally across all categories. [10] The show has featured high-profile guests ranging from global political leaders to business icons and has expanded into a multi-platform media empire. In early 2026, the podcast won the award for Best Business and Finance Podcast at the 8th annual iHeartPodcast Awards. [2][5][11] Bartlett has utilized advanced technology to scale the show, including AI-driven translations that have significantly expanded its reach among non-English speaking audiences.
Bartlett's influence extends into venture capital and television. In 2021, he joined the BBC series Dragons' Den as the youngest investor in the show's history. He has since backed numerous startups in sectors such as health, technology, and sustainability. [26] His investment portfolio includes notable companies like the personalized nutrition platform ZOE and the meal-replacement brand Huel. [21][24][26] In March 2026, Huel was acquired by Danone in a deal valued at approximately 1 billion euros. [12][25][27][28][29] Bartlett also co-founded the Web3 software platform Thirdweb and the marketing consultancy Flight Story.
As of 2026, Bartlett leads Steven.com, a creator holding company valued at 425 million dollars. He is a frequent speaker at international forums, including the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he discusses the impact of AI on media and business. His literary work includes the bestsellers Happy Sexy Millionaire and The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life. [24] Bartlett has received significant recognition for his impact, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and ranking among the top ten on the Powerlist 2026 of the UK's most influential Black people.
Steven Bartlett envisions a new era of entrepreneurship where creators transition from influencers to business owners. [30] Through Steven.com, he provides tools for creators to build sustainable companies and secure ownership of their intellectual property. [30] His investment vehicle, Flight Fund, focuses on accelerating the next generation of European unicorns in disruptive sectors like biotech and blockchain. [13][37] Bartlett champions a philosophy of continuous improvement, advocating for 1% marginal gains to achieve long-term success. [6][14] He believes leadership requires the courage to be relentlessly human and that business growth is tied to personal growth. His Paper Walls theory suggests that most professional barriers are psychological. [13] Bartlett emphasizes building purpose-driven cultures where team members are connected to a mission beyond commercial goals. [31][32][33]
Steven Bartlett has received extensive recognition for his contributions to entrepreneurship, media, and literature. [23][34] In 2020, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in the Media and Marketing category. He was also inducted into the Manchester Hall of Fame that same year. [5][15][34] In 2025, Bartlett was included in the inaugural Time 100 Creator list and ranked 11th on the Forbes Top Creators list. His podcast, The Diary of a CEO, won Best International Podcast at the 2025 iHeart Podcast Awards and Best Business and Finance Podcast at the 2026 ceremony. The Podcast Academy honored him with the inaugural International Governor’s Award at the 2025 Ambies. Bartlett was named among the UK's most influential Black people on the Powerlist 2026. [5] His literary work includes the Sunday Times bestsellers Happy Sexy Millionaire and The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life. [5] The latter was shortlisted for Book of the Year at the 2024 British Book Awards. [35] Additionally, he received the Education Impact Award at the 2025 Mindvalley Awards Gala. [36]
1. Behind The $425 Million Bet That Steven Bartlett Can Build A ‘Disney’ For Creators | Forbes
2. 2026 iHeartPodcast Awards: Full Winners List | Forbes
3. Parenting Hell becomes UK's No1 comedy podcast : News 2026 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide | Chortle
5. Steven Bartlett (businessman) | Wikipedia
9. Steven Bartlett to Oslo Business Forum 2026 | Obforum
10. Steven Bartlett: Most Important Business Decision Involves AI | Businessinsider
13. Flight Group 2026: Steven Bartlett's Flight Story, Fund, and Bitget Guide | Bitget
15. The Bookseller - Awards | Thebookseller
19. It's Been a Bad Few Days for Joyless Optimization Freaks | Vice
20. Steven.com Gets $425M Valuation // Building the Disney of the Creator Economy | Wearerockwater
21. Steven Bartlett | Investor | Dragons' Den | Greatbritishspeakers
22. Dragons Den's Steven Bartlett: All the companies entrepreneur has invested in | Plymouthherald
23. Hire Steven Bartlett | Londonkeynotespeakersagency
24. Steven Bartlett • Powerful Media | Powerful-media
26. Steven Bartlett | Flightstory
27. ‘A great British success story’: Huel bought by Danone in €1bn deal | Businesscloud
28. Steven Bartlett-backed nutrition brand to be sold in $1bn Danone deal | Prolificnorth
29. Danone to buy protein shake maker Huel | Cityam
30. Creators Take Note: Steven Bartlett’s Funding Strategy for Steven.com | Primalmogul
31. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=an08ZmMQdEw | Youtube
32. Insights - The Diary of a CEO: the 33 Laws of Business and Life- Notes from the Book | Altoadvisors
33. The Real Secret Behind Steven Bartlett's $10M Podcast Empire | Substack
34. https://stevenbartlett.com/about/ | Stevenbartlett
35. Record-breakers, royalty and romantasy dominate The British Book Awards | Thebookseller
36. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3SYaZaA_Pg | Youtube
37. Steven Bartlett launches $100M Fund to accelerate next generation of European Unicorns | Maddyness
