A bloke who dropped out of uni to set up his own business with his brother is now worth millions.
Reiss and Kris Edgerton, 30 and 29, have landed themselves on the Sunday Times’ 35 Under 35 Rich List, thanks to their savvy business skills, and are said to be worth a whopping £40 million.
The duo are close friends with the UK’s youngest billionaire Ben Francis, who owns the Gymshark brand, which was given a valuation of more than one billion back in 2020.
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Reiss, Kris and Ben would even have late-night Skype sessions to discuss business ideas when they were still in their teens.
Reiss told The Times: "We’d often be going until three in the morning.
“We were 16, 17, but we’d be talking business strategies, bouncing ideas off each other.”
Similarly to Ben, the brothers made their fortune through gym gear - setting up womenswear brand, Aybl, which is now worth millions.
Talking about the key to their brand, he added: “The most important thing for us is producing functional clothing that fits well at a good price.
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“Our customers need to feel comfortable and confident wearing it. The last thing anyone wants to feel is that some bloke down the gym is trying to make out the shape of your underwear through your leggings.
"Some women won’t go to a gym because they understandably feel self-conscious about what they’re wearing. I hate that. Exercise should be for anyone — whether you’re big, small, muscly, skinny, thin or fat."
But their future hasn’t always looked so rosy; prior to launching their own business both men dropped out of university, with Kris working in a fish and chip shop earning just £150 a week, and Reiss considering a career in the armed forces.
Opening up about their earlier years, he told the publication: “I’d fallen out with my parents and moved in with my nan.
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“I was one day away from joining the army. I’d signed my oath of allegiance and everything. They weren’t happy when I quit.
“Kris was working in a fish and chip shop, earning £150 a week.”
Offering advice to other would-be entrepreneurs about setting themselves up in business, Reiss said: “Don’t be frightened of failure. When you get to 20 or 21, something should click and you think, ‘I really want to make something of myself.’ I cut off a few friends. You need a group of like-minded friends to push you on together.”
Claire Reid