Accessibility helpSkip to navigationSkip to contentSkip to footer

Cookies on FT Sites

We use cookies and other data for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to analyse how our Sites are used.

Accept cookies
Manage cookies
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
Open side navigation menuOpen search bar
Financial Times
SubscribeSign InmyFT
  • Home
  • World
    Sections
    • World Home
    • Israel-Hamas war
    • Global Economy
    • UK
    • US
    • China
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Emerging Markets
    • Europe
    • War in Ukraine
    • Americas
    • Middle East & North Africa
    Most Read
    • Geert Wilders faces early setback in Dutch coalition talks
    • Argentina’s Javier Milei backs away from dollarisation as central bank pick rejects role
    • Israeli intelligence ‘dismissed’ detailed warning of Hamas raid
    • Hamas releases 24 hostages as Israel truce takes hold
    • Cathay Pacific offers cheap flights to help Hong Kong’s ‘patriots only’ vote
  • US
    Sections
    • US Home
    • US Economy
    • US Companies
    • US Politics & Policy
    Most Read
    • Companies
      Sections
      • Companies Home
      • Energy
      • Financials
      • Health
      • Industrials
      • Media
      • Professional Services
      • Retail & Consumer
      • Tech Sector
      • Telecoms
      • Transport
      Most Read
      • KPMG extends pay freeze to 12,000 UK staff
      • Tesla strikes in Sweden are ‘insane’, says Elon Musk
      • How BP’s ‘Sun King’ court enabled the rise and fall of Bernard Looney
      • Jeff Zucker hits out at rival Telegraph bidders for ‘slinging mud’
      • Electric vehicle failures offer lessons for the next boom
    • Tech
    • Markets
      Sections
      • Markets Home
      • Alphaville
      • Markets Data
      • Cryptofinance
      • Capital Markets
      • Commodities
      • Currencies
      • Equities
      • Fund Management
      • Wealth Management
      • Trading
      • Moral Money
      • ETF Hub
      Most Read
      • Argentina’s Javier Milei backs away from dollarisation as central bank pick rejects role
      • News updates from November 24: Hamas releases hostages as Israel truce begins, Netherlands’ VVD party deals blow to Geert Wilders’ government hopes
      • How BP’s ‘Sun King’ court enabled the rise and fall of Bernard Looney
      • Investors dump dollar in bet that US rates have peaked
      • Montenegro court clears crypto chief Do Kwon for extradition
    • Climate
    • Opinion
      Sections
      • Opinion Home
      • Columnists
      • The FT View
      • Lex
      • Obituaries
      • Letters
      Most Read
      • OpenAI has just fused its corporate ‘kill switch’
      • Europe’s problem? It’s too attractive
      • Slaying the worklessness monster is a thankless but crucial task
      • Fear not — equity is far from cancelled
      • Crypto power struggle enters new stage with Binance settlement
    • Work & Careers
      Sections
      • Work & Careers Home
      • Business School Rankings
      • Business Education
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Recruitment
      • Business Books
      • Business Travel
      • Working It
      Most Read
      • Business Books: What to read this month
      • Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier: ‘The EU is not the same one the UK left’
      • Start-ups challenge culture of the Japanese salaryman
      • In search of chief executives who never grow ‘old’
      • The inescapable tyranny of the bad boss
    • Life & Arts
      Sections
      • Life & Arts Home
      • Arts
      • Books
      • Food & Drink
      • FT Magazine
      • House & Home
      • Style
      • Travel
      • FT Globetrotter
      Most Read
      • Tom Hanks: ‘I was a pretty lucky guy’
      • Napoleon and the mythmakers
      • Why the breakdown of the 9-to-5 job is making us lonelier
      • Leon Black’s downfall confounds the legacy of #MeToo on Wall Street
      • Could younger homebuyers turn Belgravia from staid to ‘buzzy’?
    • HTSI
    MenuSearch
    • Home
    • World
    • US
    • Companies
    • Tech
    • Markets
    • Climate
    • Opinion
    • Work & Careers
    • Life & Arts
    • HTSI
    Financial Times
    SubscribeSign In

    My First Million

    Add to myFT Digest

    Add this topic to your myFT Digest for news straight to your inbox

    • Thursday, 28 September, 2023
      Q&ASustainability
      My First Million: Thom Elliot, co-founder, Pizza Pilgrims

      Launched from the back of a tuk-tuk, the rise of a chain that now has more than 20 branches

      Pizza Pilgrims founder Thom Elliot with brother James
    • Wednesday, 16 August, 2023
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Aron Gelbard, co-founder of Bloom & Wild

      Online florist plans to expand product range as sales of flowers fluctuate

      Aron Gelbard, founder of Bloom & Wild
    • Thursday, 1 June, 2023
      Q&APersonal & Household Goods
      My First Million: Joanna Jensen, founder of Childs Farm

      Entrepreneur survived divorce, major abdominal surgery and cervical cancer on way to selling a £36mn business

      Joanna Jensen, founder of Childs Farm, with her horse Albie
    • Wednesday, 1 March, 2023
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Edward East of Billion Dollar Boy

      Pandemic helped the company grow, as social media was boosted

    • Wednesday, 30 November, 2022
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Jeff Dewing, Cloudfm founder

      Facilities management boss recovers from earlier bankruptcy

      Jeff Dewing
    • Tuesday, 8 November, 2022
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Josh Gill, founder of Everflow

      Former engineer disrupts supplying water to businesses

    • Tuesday, 13 September, 2022
      InterviewThe Art Market
      My First Million: Gyr King, fine art entrepreneur

      Turnover has risen from £18,000 in 1983 to more than £11mn in 2021

      Gyr King stands in front of a wall of prints
    • Wednesday, 15 June, 2022
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Jonathan Petrides, plant-based food pioneer

      Working from home people created demand for quick and healthy lunches

      Jonathan Petrides in his kitchen
    • Wednesday, 16 March, 2022
      Personal Finance
      My First Million: Rob Bridgman, founder of sofa maker Snug

      Customers didn’t understand the benefits of buying a sofa online, so we changed the way we did business

      Rob Bridgman seated on one of his company’s sofas
    • Wednesday, 2 March, 2022
      InterviewInsurance
      My First Million: Sam White, car insurance tycoon

      Business bounces back after first wave of the pandemic

    • Tuesday, 18 January, 2022
      InterviewPersonal Finance
      My First Million: Jamie Barber, restaurateur

      007 helped me launch my business

    • Thursday, 18 November, 2021
      Q&ARetail & Consumer industry
      My first million: Harriet Hastings, founder of Biscuiteers

      ‘Making a million allowed us to take the business to the next level’

    • Tuesday, 19 October, 2021
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Rune Sovndahl, founder of Fantastic Services

      Domestic services business offers grants to overcome labour shortages

    • Wednesday, 18 August, 2021
      InterviewPersonal Finance
      My First Million: Vivien Wong, co-founder of Little Moons

      How TikTok fired up an ice cream business

    • Wednesday, 30 June, 2021
      InterviewPersonal Finance
      My First Million: Martyn Page, retail angling entrepreneur

      Company reels in business during the pandemic

    • Thursday, 6 May, 2021
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Piers Smart of Scampers

      Pet food retailer thrived in lockdown without selling online

    • Wednesday, 10 March, 2021
      Q&ARetail & Consumer industry
      My First Million: Alessandro Savelli, founder, Pasta Evangelists

      ‘Lockdown boosted our sales tenfold’

    • Thursday, 11 February, 2021
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Freddie Garland, online florist

      Subscription blooms business booms under lockdown

    • Wednesday, 9 December, 2020
      Personal Finance
      My First Million: Clare Harris, founder Talking Tables

      A kitchen table business grew to £18m annual turnover

    • Tuesday, 27 October, 2020
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Andrew Wright, founder The Wright Buy

      Kitchen appliance retailer has almost doubled the number of staff since lockdown

    • Wednesday, 9 September, 2020
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Ben Revell, founder Winebuyers.com

      The online market for wine exploded after announcement of lockdown

    • Friday, 24 January, 2020
      Personal Finance
      My First Million: Nicholas Gill, chief executive, David Phillips

      We grew too fast, but came back stronger

    • Wednesday, 13 November, 2019
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Mike Battle, LaplandUK founder

      From hedge fund manager to making children’s festive dreams come true

      Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ins News/Shutterstock (4283340d)
									Lapland UK owners Mike and Alison Battle
									Lapland UK christmas theme park in Whitmoor Forest, Ascot, Berkshire, Britain - 29 Nov 2014
    • Wednesday, 18 September, 2019
      Q&APersonal Finance
      My First Million: Andy Scott, turnround specialist

      ‘There are no warranties when you take on an insolvent company’

      My First Million - Andy Scott, turnround specialist
    • Wednesday, 27 March, 2019
      InterviewPersonal Finance
      My First Million: Matt Kay, founder of Cartime

      He used student loan to finance first car deal, and company now turns over £40m

      My First Million - Matt Kay, founder of Cartime a new way to buy a used car, via new tech and on site prep centre, Bury near Manchster
    Previous page You are on page 1 Next page

    Useful links

    Support

    View Site TipsHelp CentreContact UsAbout UsAccessibilitymyFT TourCareers

    Legal & Privacy

    Terms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyManage CookiesCopyrightSlavery Statement & Policies

    Services

    Share News Tips SecurelyIndividual SubscriptionsProfessional SubscriptionsRepublishingExecutive Job SearchAdvertise with the FTFollow the FT on XFT ChannelsFT Schools

    Tools

    PortfolioToday’s Newspaper (FT Digital Edition)Alerts HubBusiness School RankingsEnterprise ToolsNews feedNewslettersCurrency Converter

    Community & Events

    FT CommunityFT Live EventsFT ForumsFT Board DirectorBoard Director Programme

    More from the FT Group

    Markets data delayed by at least 15 minutes. © THE FINANCIAL TIMES LTD 2023. FT and ‘Financial Times’ are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.
    The Financial Times and its journalism are subject to a self-regulation regime under the FT Editorial Code of Practice.
    Financial Times

    International Edition

    Subscribe for full access
    • Switch to UK Edition

    Top sections

    • Home
    • World
      • Israel-Hamas war
      • Global Economy
      • UK
      • US
      • China
      • Africa
      • Asia Pacific
      • Emerging Markets
      • Europe
      • War in Ukraine
      • Americas
      • Middle East & North Africa
    • US
      • US Economy
      • US Companies
      • US Politics & Policy
    • Companies
      • Energy
      • Financials
      • Health
      • Industrials
      • Media
      • Professional Services
      • Retail & Consumer
      • Tech Sector
      • Telecoms
      • Transport
    • Tech
      • Artificial intelligence
      • Semiconductors
      • Cyber Security
      • Social Media
    • Markets
      • Alphaville
      • Markets Data
      • Cryptofinance
      • Capital Markets
      • Commodities
      • Currencies
      • Equities
      • Fund Management
      • Wealth Management
      • Trading
      • Moral Money
      • ETF Hub
    • Climate
    • Opinion
      • Columnists
      • The FT View
      • Lex
      • Obituaries
      • Letters
    • Work & Careers
      • Business School Rankings
      • Business Education
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Recruitment
      • Business Books
      • Business Travel
      • Working It
    • Life & Arts
      • Arts
      • Books
      • Food & Drink
      • FT Magazine
      • House & Home
      • Style
      • Travel
      • FT Globetrotter
    • Personal Finance
      • Property & Mortgages
      • Investments
      • Pensions
      • Tax
      • Banking & Savings
      • Advice & Comment
      • Next Act
    • HTSI
    • Special Reports

    FT recommends

    • Lex
    • Alphaville
    • Lunch with the FT
    • FT Globetrotter
    • #techAsia
    • Moral Money
    • Visual and data journalism
    • Newsletters
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • News feed
    • FT Live Events
    • FT Forums
    • Board Director Programme
    • myFT
    • Portfolio
    • Today’s Newspaper (FT Digital Edition)
    • Crossword
    • Our Apps
    • Help Centre
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In