Journey of Ben Francis: From a Delivery Boy to Britain’s Youngest Billionaire
Perseverance, authenticity, and the power of following one’s passion are what made Ben Francis stand out in an era where overnight success stories dominate headlines. Working as a Pizza Hut delivery driver at the age of 19 and earning £5 an hour, Francis launched what would become one of the UK’s fastest-growing ventures from his parents’ garage. Today, he’s Britain’s youngest self-made billionaire and the CEO and majority owner of Gymshark, a global fitness empire valued at over £1 billion.
Gymshark was founded in 2012 by Francis, alongside school friend Lewis Morgan. But Francis’ journey was marked by numerous twists and turns. Before Gymshark, he had founded seven failed business ventures, which included websites selling license plates and developing fitness apps like iPhysique and Fat Loss Abs Guide. However, these failures shaped the foundation of his eventual success.
Francis managed lectures, late-night gym sessions, and pizza deliveries across Birmingham when he was studying at Aston University. During his workout sessions, he felt frustrated with ill-fitted weightlifting clothes, and that’s when he was sparked with the idea to redirect Gymshark’s original supplement-selling business model to creating fitness apparel. Francis purchased a sewing machine and a screen printer with his savings of $1000 from his Pizza Hut job.
After learning to sew from his grandmother, he started manufacturing products and hand-stitching each order himself in his parents’ garage. Initially, the website sold fitness supplements through drop shipping, and to make the first sale, it took six weeks.
The Movement of Change – The Body Power Movement
May 2013 marked a decisive moment at the Body Power fitness trade show in Birmingham.
Gymshark’s bank account was emptied by Francis to reserve a small area of floor space at the expo (the biggest risk in the company’s history). With no penny for traditional advertising, he made an impulsive decision that would revolutionize fitness marketing in the future.
Inside the event, Francis and Morgan decided to give free products to the popular fitness YouTubers. It was an organic move driven out of Francis’s genuine admiration for the content creators. This move delivered amazing results as some influencers wore the apparel on their channels, kicking off Gymshark’s sales from $450 per day to $45,000 per day.
After the trade show, one of their tracksuits went viral on Facebook, which generated £30,000 in sales within 30 minutes.
Francis’s Leadership Journey
Self-awareness and humility are what make Francis stand apart from many young founders.
After the initial success of Gymshark in 2015, Francis made the courageous decision to step down as CEO. He stated that “CEO was not the right role for me when I was in my early 20s. Just because I’d started a business that had grown very quickly didn’t mean I was the most competent chief exec.”
He stepped into the roles of chief brand officer, chief marketing officer, and chief product officer.
After working for four years across different departments (finance, operations, supply chain, product, and technology), Francis returned to the role of CEO in August 2021, now equipped with in-depth knowledge of every aspect of the business.
His commitment to authenticity and community is unwavering. Unlike other brands that expand themselves thin across sportswear, athleisure, and fashion, Gymshark, with the tag line “We Do Gym,” is solely focused on gym wear, portraying the reflection of the brand’s commitment of globally being the most authentic producer of gym wear.
Recognition & Global Expansion
Reportedly, in August 2020, a 21% stake was sold by Gymshark to a US private equity firm, General Atlantic, in a deal that valued the company in excess of £1 billion. But still, Francis owns 70% of the business (valuing his stake at approximately $300 million).
Today, Gymshark is operated in over 200 countries and employs nearly 1,000 people with a community of more than 20 million people.
The company opened a £5 million headquarters in 2015, in the West Midlands, Solihull, and has since expanded with physical retail locations, including Westfield Stratford City, London’s Regent Street, and the Dubai Mall.
From early figures to hundreds of millions annually, the company’s revenue has skyrocketed, with the US becoming a significant market for expansion.
Francis’s journey of entrepreneurial excellence has been noticed by the world.
In 2018, he was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
He served on the UK Government’s Business Council for Entrepreneurs, and in 2020, he received the EY UK Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Above all, in the 2023 New Year Honors for services to the business sector, Francis was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
Driven by a belief in giving back, Francis serves as a charity patron for Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trusts.
The Philosophy of Success
When asked what guided him throughout his journey of seven failed businesses to building a billion-dollar empire. He mentions, “It’s definitely the ability of not being afraid of failure and having the confidence and the ability to learn.”
He advises aspiring young entrepreneurs to build something that they love and to pursue what they love.
Despite the current success of Gymshark, Francis refuses to take a break; he envisions building a brand that lasts 100 years. His story is a great example of self-awareness, entrepreneurial resilience, and authentic brand building. At the age of 32, he has achieved what many spend a lifetime pursuing.
His story is proof that with genuine passion, strategic thinking, a relentless work ethic, and the humility to keep learning, anybody can achieve extraordinary success.
