1979
Born in Manchester, UK
Oliver Cookson (41) is a UK entrepreneur who established the sports nutrition business Myprotein®.
Growing up in Stockport, Oliver left school aged 16 with one GCSE. Two decades later, he has been named the UK’s number one self-made millionaire under 40 with a net worth of £306m (Sunday Times Rich List 2019).
After leaving school, Oliver began, and swiftly departed, roles as a paperboy and in takeaway restaurants, before starting a modern apprenticeship in IT. He then quickly progressed to become a self-taught contract website developer for major global organisations.
In 2004, and growing tired of the day-to-day, Oliver decided to capitalise on his love of fitness and nutrition and used a £500 overdraft to launch a sports supplement idea, which would lay the foundations for a multi-million-pound company.
As the driving force behind its inspirational and well-documented growth, the bootstrapped Myprotein® went on-to become the number one sports nutrition brand in Europe, employing over 100 people in Manchester with financials of over £5m EBITDA.
In 2011, after a heavily contested sales process, including offers from some of the largest blue-chip FMCG brands, institutional investors and private equity, Oliver went onto complete a high-profile sale of Myprotein® to The Hut Group which resulted in combined shares and cash deal which earnt him a nine-digit exit.
He remained on the board of directors of The Hut Group® as part of the deal but stepped down in 2012 to focus on new opportunities. His interests remain a key shareholder in The Hut Group® to this day, retaining all original shares.
Not one for standing still, Oliver founded Monocore® in 2011 launching multiple consumer nutrition brands, including GoNutrition®, before fully exiting the company in 2019. He has since founded his investment vehicle OSC Group™, which is his now day-to-day focus.
Away from the boardroom, Oliver is a charismatic and engaging entrepreneur, leader, and speaker who is a well-respected figure in the business and fitness sectors.
Each year, Oliver donates to a number of charities, including being a major donor in recent years to the Caudwell Children’s charity, which transforms the lives of disabled children across the UK.
