Diary of Entrepreneur and CEO host Steven Bartlett has revealed his business empire has been valued at $425 million (£320 million) following a massive eight-figure investment – a deal which cements his position as one of the richest entrepreneurs ever to grace Dragons' Den.
The 33-year-old investor, who joined the BBC show in 2022, announced the new valuation via a press statement this week. The deal sees venture capital firms Slow Ventures and Apeiron Investments acquire a minority stake in their sister company Steven.com, which now houses Bartlett's rapidly expanding portfolio, including Flight Story, Flight Cast, Flight Fund and online shopping platform Stan Store.
Bartlett said the capital investment would help him “build the Disney of the maker economy”, placing his enterprise at the center of a multi-billion dollar influencer and maker market.
“Over the last century, companies like Disney demonstrated the power of intellectual property,” Bartlett said. “In today's world, creators are the new franchisees – and with my team, we're creating a modern version of that model.”
Despite the investment, Bartlett said he still retained ownership of more than 90% of Steven.com.
The valuation marks another major milestone for Bartlett, who has evolved from startup founder to multimedia mogul. Their media and technology portfolio now spans content production, venture investments and e-commerce infrastructure for digital creators.
Steven.com integrates all of his ventures, including:
• Flight Story – a marketing and communications agency that powers The Diary of a CEO and Davina McCall's Begin Again podcast.
• Flight Cast – A creative production division.
• Flight Fund – Bartlett's venture capital arm investing in technology and consumer brands.
• Stan Store – An e-commerce platform competing with Shopify and Linktree.
Bartlett claims the investment is the largest ever made in a European company specializing in social media creators.
Born in Botswana to a Nigerian mother and English father, Bartlett grew up in Plymouth and left university at the age of 18 before starting his first business.
He co-founded Social Chain with Dominic McGregor in 2014 and built it into one of Europe's fastest growing social media agencies. However, the company faced criticism for plagiarizing social media content and inflating valuations.
In his biography, Bartlett claimed to have taken the social chain public at a valuation of $600 million, although the firm's 2019 merger with German retailer Lumaland put its actual value closer to $186 million. The company later reached $620 million following Bartlett's exit and was eventually sold for just £7.7 million.
Bartlett left the social chain in 2020, subsequently founding Flight Story and the Diary of a CEO podcast – both of which are now major drivers of his wealth and influence.
While Bartlett's business success has been widely celebrated, his ventures have also not been without controversy.
A BBC investigation in late 2024 found that their Diary of a CEO podcast featured guests promoting unverified health claims, including that the keto diet could cure cancer and that COVID-19 was “biologically engineered”, without challenge by Bartlett. Critics accused him of giving a platform to harmful misinformation.
In 2022, Bartlett also faced criticism for investing in ear seeds – a product introduced on Dragons' Den that claimed to help cure ME/chronic fatigue syndrome. Following complaints, the BBC added a disclaimer clarifying that the treatment was not medically verified.
He was later warned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in 2024 for failing to disclose his financial interests when promoting Huell & Zoe on social media.
Despite the controversies, Bartlett's influence continues to grow. His Diary of a CEO podcast – which has featured guests including Richard Branson, Simon Cowell and Boris Johnson – won Best International Podcast at the iHeart Radio Podcast Awards earlier this year.
With his latest valuation, Bartlett joins the top group of UK entrepreneurs under the age of 35. Industry observers say his empire reflects both the economic strength and volatility of the maker economy, where brands, authenticity and influence are the new assets of value.
Dr Harriet Mason, Professor of Media Entrepreneurship at the University of Leeds, said: “Steven Bartlett is the embodiment of the modern business model.” “He's part content creator, part venture capitalist – a mix we'll see even more of in the next decade.”
However, the focus for Bartlett is clear: growing Steven.com into a global creative media ecosystem.
“Producers are the studios of the future,” he said. “Our goal is to empower them – and build something lasting around their stories.”
paul jones
Harvard alumnus and former New York Times journalist. Editor of Business Matters, the UK's largest business magazine, for over 15 years. I also head the automotive division of Capital Business Media working for clients such as Red Bull Racing, Honda, Aston Martin and Infiniti.
