Meet Ben Francis, Britain’s youngest billionaire: he co-founded fitness apparel brand Gymshark in his parents’ garage while still a teenager – now he’s bringing the brand to the US
Growing up, Francis had a head for business and launched several endeavours before landing on Gymshark at age 19, which he expanded thanks to partnerships with social media influencers
With his brand’s valuation sitting at US$1.4 billion, according to Forbes, Francis, now 32, has plans for a big expansion with the opening of a 13,000 sq ft flagship store in New York.
“I love New York … it’s the perfect place for Gymshark and I’m honoured to call it our North American home,” Francis said in a recent interview with the New York Post, adding, “We have to be successful in the US in order for us to be successful around the world.”
Here’s everything to know about Gymshark CEO Ben Francis.
He was 19 when he co-founded Gymshark
Ben Francis grew up in England, where he attended South Bromsgrove High School, south of Birmingham. By 18 he had already made several failed attempts at launching a business.
The idea of making workout clothes came to Francis when he, a fitness enthusiast, was looking to improve his own gym experience. In 2012, Francis and friend Lewis Morgan co-founded Gymshark in the Francis family garage. Francis was 19 at the time and working as a pizza delivery boy, says Forbes.
The young entrepreneur reportedly enlisted his grandma for help with sewing the clothes, as per the New York Post.
The brand grew steadily with the support of social media influencers. Francis even gave some influencers an equity stake in the company during its infancy, so they were keen to help it grow.