My firm makes £280k a month - I didn't even bother with university
Robbie Cartwright says he has always been good at making moneyNeil ShawandRobert RowlandsDeputy editor, money and lifestyle, content hub16:15, 16 Jul 2026A young man whose business makes £280,000 of revenue a. . .
Robbie Cartwright says he has always been good at making moneyNeil ShawandRobert RowlandsDeputy editor, money and lifestyle, content hub16:15, 16 Jul 2026A young man whose business makes £280,000 of revenue a month has shared the story of his success. Robbie Cartwright skipped university but always knew he was good at making money. And the Brit says it started at school. He said: “I think entrepreneurship is something which isn’t encouraged. “People are encouraged to go and get a degree and put themselves in student debt and then do something that they don’t want to do. I was having career talks at school, getting pushed into looking at accounting or sales. “But if people have a passion, like having a business – whether you make money or not – it is probably one of the best educations you could ever give yourself. ”The Brit, from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, is just 21. As a youngster, he used to buy bracelets in bulk and sell them by putting them in trays in pubs. He also resold fidget spinners and sweets at school, then went on to sell designer shoes. He went on to build up his reselling business bedfore renting a shop for £600 a month in 2023. His firm made more than £280,000 in total revenue in June 2026, with almost £220,000 coming just from live auctions. Looking back at his youth and where it all began, Robbie said he used to resell shoes to family and friends. He went on to buying and reselling used clothes and shoes online when the pandemic happened in 2020, when he was just 15. He said: “I had a lot more spare time when school moved online, so I’d be scouring eBay during lessons on my laptop. “I was looking at stuff for sale in auctions and trying to get a sneaky bid in, or even just making stupid offers and hoping it won. “Then getting it, cleaning it up, picturing it nicely, and then doing a sale every now and again. ” As for school, Robbie said: “I was always adamant I’d never need grades. “I didn’t really care what I got (in tests) but I just put time into stuff I knew would be useful, like maths and business studies. ”Robbie has been able to buy two rental properties in May 2026, take on up to eight staff — all aged under 21 — and purchase a Land Rover Defender. He now plans to move the operation into a 7,000 sq ft unit within the next six weeks. He says he doesn’t feel the need for a “flashy lifestyle”. Instead, he pays himself £12,570 a year and ploughs the rest of the revenue back into expanding the business. “I don’t have too much spare time to spend that money,” he said. “It just allows me to grow the business… because that is really my primary objective. ”Robbie said: “I’ve had an interest in something and I followed it, and it managed to turn into a business. Article continues below“Now I get to do something every day in my life on my own terms. ”More information about Tilt is available atwww. tilt. app.