Steven Bartlett, the entrepreneur behind the highly successful podcast "The Diary of a CEO," reportedly spends surprisingly little time on the internet. This claim comes despite his podcast being one of the most popular globally, with more than $1 billion streams and 50 million monthly listeners. Bartlett's show has a massive online footprint, boasting 10 million YouTube subscribers and 25 million social media followers.
"The Diary of a CEO" started as a hobby in 2017 while Bartlett was still with Social Chain, a company that was reportedly experiencing $7 million in losses in 2019. The podcast has grown to feature prominent guests like Michelle Obama and Richard Branson, generating an estimated $20 million in annual revenue, which includes income from partnerships, merchandise, and speaking engagements.
Despite his online fame, Bartlett has faced some criticism, including an incident where ads for Huel and Zoe featuring him were banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority due to concerns about his financial interests in those companies. He also drew widespread attention for an "oversized reaction" to drinking wine, claiming it negatively impacted his sleep, diet, and podcast performance, which many viewed as emblematic of an overly optimized and joyless approach to life. Nevertheless, his podcast continues to be a runaway success, rivaling Joe Rogan's listenership and subscriber growth on platforms like YouTube.
