Steven Bartlett

Steven Bartlett (born August 26, 1992) is a British entrepreneur, investor, author, and podcast host. He is the creator and host of The Diary Of A CEO, the #1 podcast in the United Kingdom for three consecutive years. In 2021 he became the youngest-ever investor ("Dragon") on the BBC series Dragon's Den.

Early life and education

Bartlett was born in Gaborone, Botswana, to an English father and a Nigerian mother. His family relocated to Plymouth, England, when he was two years old. He attended local schools in Plymouth but was expelled from sixth form. He enrolled at Manchester Metropolitan University but dropped out after attending a single lecture, deciding to pursue entrepreneurship full-time.

Social Chain and business career

In 2013 Bartlett founded Wallpark, a digital noticeboard platform aimed at university students. The venture attracted attention from Monkey Inferno, an incubator run by Bebo co-founder Michael Birch, and Bartlett spent time in San Francisco as an entrepreneur-in-residence.

In 2014 Bartlett co-founded Social Chain, a social media marketing agency based in Manchester. The company grew rapidly, reaching over 200 employees and approximately $25 million in annual revenue. Social Chain later merged with the German e-commerce firm Lumaland to form Social Chain AG, which was listed on the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange. At its peak the combined entity carried a reported valuation of $300 million. Bartlett stepped down as co-CEO in August 2020.

Following Social Chain, Bartlett founded Flight Story, a media and marketing company, and Flight Fund, a venture capital vehicle. He co-founded Thirdweb, a Web3 development platform that reached a reported valuation of $160 million. He also launched Flightcast, a podcast network.

The Diary Of A CEO

Bartlett launched The Diary Of A CEO in 2017. The show features long-form interviews with entrepreneurs, scientists, athletes, and public figures, framed around personal narratives and expert authority. As of 2025 it attracts approximately 50 million monthly listeners, has surpassed one billion total streams, and has accumulated 12.1 million YouTube subscribers. The show won the iHeartRadio Award for Best International Podcast in 2025.

Interviewing style

Bartlett's approach centres on high production values, direct questioning, and authority-framed packaging. Episodes are often titled around superlatives such as "the No.1 expert" in a given field. The format typically runs 60–120 minutes. The show's visual identity and studio design are more polished than most interview podcasts.

Dragon's Den

In 2021 Bartlett joined the panel of BBC One's Dragon's Den for Series 19, at age 28 the youngest Dragon in the programme's history. Over his tenure he pledged a total of £3.5 million across multiple investments on the show.

Recognition

Bartlett has appeared on the Forbes Top Creators list and was named to the Time 100 Most Influential Voices list for 2025. His estimated net worth is in the range of $45–55 million, derived from his media businesses, investments, and podcast revenue.

See also

• The Diary Of A CEO
• Mel Robbins, frequent thematic overlap in self-improvement and entrepreneurship content
• Joe Rogan, comparable long-form interview format at larger scale