Steven Bartlett net worth: who is Dragon’s Den entrepreneur and Social Chain founder - career to date

Bartlett’s social media marketing company was worth £300 million in 2019
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Dragon’s Den kicked off on BBC One on 5 January with some familiar faces and a new dragon in the den. As well as original dragon Peter Jones and long-serving panellist Deborah Meaden returning, the youngest dragon to ever feature on the series is newcomer Steven Bartlett.

Also returning for the new series is fashion retail entrepreneur Touker Suleyman and British businesswoman Sara Davies. So, who is Steven Bartlett and what is his business background? This is what you need to know.

Who is Stephen Bartlett?

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The 30-year-old Bartlett is a successful British businessman who was born in Botswana in 1992, and moved to Plymouth, aged two. He attended Manchester Metropolitan University at the age of 22, but dropped out after just one lecture.

The same year, he co-founded two companies, Social Chain and Media Chain, together with his business partner Dom McGregor. In 2019 , he took Social Chain public and the company is estimated to be worth around £300 million.

Since becoming one of the UK’s most successful young millionaires, he has released his debut book, Happy Sexy Millionaire, which has become a Sunday Times bestseller. He is also the host of the popular The Diary of a CEO podcast and has amassed a social media following of over 2 million.

Since departing from his CEO role at Social Chain, he has been named on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and has received accolades at the Black British Business Awards. In May 2021, he was named as the replacement dragon when Tej Lalvani announced he would not return for the 19th series of the BBC One show.

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He also announced two new companies, Thirdweb and Flight Story.

What is Bartlett’s net worth?

While his current net worth remains unknown, he was said to be worth around £96 million back in 2019. While Social Chain was valued at £300 million in 2021, Bartletthimself has a different net worth. When he was 26 years old, Forbes magazine estimated that the entrepreneur was worth $96m (£68m).

He has since launched two new companies, released his best-selling book and signed a contract with the BBC for his stint on Dragon’s Den.

What has he said about joining Dragon’s Den?

Bartlett said of his appointment on the investment show, that he felt it was a “tremendous honour” and that he had been watching the show since he was 12 years old.

Bartlett is the youngest ever dragon to enter the den (Picture: BBC)Bartlett is the youngest ever dragon to enter the den (Picture: BBC)
Bartlett is the youngest ever dragon to enter the den (Picture: BBC)
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He added that it had served as his "first window into the real world of business and investing,” and he hopes to represent "a new generation of entrepreneurs, inspiring young and specifically under-represented entrepreneurs to follow in my footsteps."

When does Dragons Den start on BBC?

Dragons Den series 20 began on BBC One on Thursday 5 January, followed by a new series of Lord Sugar’s The Apprentice. The show will air weekly on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One and will be available on BBC iPlayer shortly after broadcast.

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