Steven Bartlett tightens grip on Diary of a CEO maker
Steven Bartlett has increased his stake in the group behind his Diary of a CEO podcast.
The Dragons’ Den star has bought 150,000 extra shares in Flight Story Group from fellow co-founder Oliver Yonchev who left in August.
The deal for Steven Bartlett to buy his business partner out was completed last year but has only been revealed in new filings with Companies House.
Yonchev’s shares are now held by SB Invest Ltd, a business owned by Steven Bartlett and whose sole director is his brother, Jason.
The entrepreneur was already the group’s largest single shareholder with a previous stake of 750,000 shares.
As well as Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast, the group makes the likes of We Need to Talk with Paul C Brunson and Begin Again with Davina McCall.
The group is also involved in books, speakers and selling products and has an investment arm.
Steven Bartlett’s move to LA
In February, City AM reported that Steven Bartlett had stepped down as a director of nutrition brand Huel.
The celebrity entrepreneur, who has been a long-time investor in the company, had held the role since early 2021.
A Huel spokesperson said: “Steve has recently moved to LA and is involved with so many businesses that’s it’s hard for him to commit time to a Huel board role.
“He remains an investor in the business. Emma will continue to be a supporter of Huel as she steps away from a board position.”
At the end of last year, Bartlett faced questions over his hit Diary of a CEO podcast after a investigation by BBC News raised concerns over health claims made by several guests.
The entrepreneur, who made his fortune co-founding Social Chain in Manchester after dropping out of university, was accused of amplifying harmful health misinformation on the podcast.
According to the BBC, guests on Steven Bartlett’s show were allowed to put forward claims that cancer can be treated by following a keto diet, rather than proven treatments.
BBC World Service looked at 15 health-related podcast episodes which were each found to contained an average of 14 harmful health claims that went against extensive scientific evidence.
In a statement Flight Studio, Bartlett’s production company, said guests were offered “freedom of expression” and were “thoroughly researched”.