Ben Francis has been named as one of the biggest taxpayers in the UK - and is the youngest of the top 100 list.
The chief executive of athletics and leisure brand, Gymshark, appeared in 93rd place in the Sunday Times Tax List, released on Friday, thanks to his contribution to the public finances standing at £11.6 million.
The university drop-out owns 70 per cent of Gymshark, which was valued at £1.25bn by the Sunday Times last year, giving him an estimated fortune of about £875m. The young entrepreneur asked his grandmother - a curtain maker - to teach him how to sew, before investing in his own machine to create his clothes, while studying full-time.
When he was a student, he worked nights at Pizza Hut, and built two iPhone fitness apps - Fat Loss Abs Guide and iPhysique - and started selling supplements as a side hustle. They started using social media influencers, teaming up with YouTube body builders, Nikki Blackketter and Lex Griffin, to increase exposure.
As sales took off, Gymshark moved to a unit in Moons Moat Industrial Estate, Redditch, before relocating to its current headquarters in Blythe Valley Park, Solihull.Speaking in his own blog, he admitted the work was often overwhelming and said it was important for him to set his ego aside to "put the business first".
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