Steven Bartlett says Diary of a CEO on track for $60 million revenue

Steven Bartlett, the British entrepreneur and host of the podcast The Diary of a CEO, says the show's business is on track for about $60 million in revenue this year, up from roughly $1.2 million in 2021. He gave the forecast in an interview published by Fortune on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Bartlett, who says he started the show with a $100 microphone, said the money now comes from several streams, including brand partnerships, products the business makes and owns, subscriptions and memberships, events, and an investment fund.

The Diary of a CEO shows how a single interview show can grow into a full business. Most podcasts earn mainly from advertisements read during episodes. Bartlett's figures suggest that the biggest creator businesses now earn from many sources at once: deals with brands, their own products, paid memberships, ticketed events and even investments in other companies. Spreading income this way makes a creator less dependent on one platform's advertising rules or payments.

His decision to turn down an offer that would have meant more ads and leaving YouTube is also telling. Video platforms have become central to podcasting, because audiences now watch interviews as well as listen to them. Bartlett's choice suggests that, for the largest shows, keeping direct access to a free, global audience on YouTube can be worth more than a large one-off payment from a platform seeking exclusivity.

The numbers need some care. The $60 million is Bartlett's own forecast for the year, not audited results, and revenue is not the same as profit: producing a large show, running events and making products all cost money. The holding company's $160 million projection for next year is also a forecast.

For Indian founders and creators, the story is relevant. India has one of the world's largest audiences on YouTube and a fast-growing community of podcasters and video creators, many of them in regional languages. The model Bartlett describes, building a trusted show and then adding products, memberships and events around it, is one that Indian creators are also trying. His experience suggests that the route to a lasting business lies in owning products and audience relationships, not only in advertising income.

Short-term: The figures add to the debate about how much podcast and creator businesses are worth and may encourage other large shows to talk publicly about diversifying their income.

Long-term: If creator-led companies like Steven.com keep growing, they could become media and consumer businesses in their own right, competing with traditional publishers and brands for both audiences and advertising money.

Who is affected: podcasters and video creators; brands that advertise with creators; platforms such as YouTube and audio services competing for top shows; investors in the creator economy; and listeners, who may see more products and memberships offered alongside free episodes.

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