John Coates (businessman)

John Fitzgerald Coates (born January 1970), is an English billionaire businessman and the joint chief executive (CEO) of online gambling company bet365 and joint-chairman of Stoke City.

John Coates
Born
John Fitzgerald Coates

January 1970 (age 51)
NationalityEnglish
EducationBristol University
OccupationBusinessman
Known forJoint CEO of bet365
Joint chairman of Stoke City
Net worthUS$4.6 billion (October 2020)[1]
Parent(s)Peter Coates
RelativesDenise Coates (sister)

Early life

John Fitzgerald Coates was born in January 1970,[2] the son of Peter Coates, chairman of Stoke City F.C. and director of Bet365. He attended Bristol University where he studied Law.[1]

Business career

Coates started his career as a lawyer. In 2001, after selling some of their father's betting shops to large bookmaker Coral, his sister convinced him to join her in launching bet365.

Bet365

John and his sister Denise Coates[3] are co-CEOs of UK-based bet365, an online gambling company, of which he owns a quarter.[4]

Bet365 Foundation

John helped Denise set-up the Bet365 Foundation in August 2012 and it has donated £100 million[5] to 20 UK charities to help support projects home and abroad.

Charities which have received funds include Oxfam, CAFOD, the Douglas Macmillan Hospice for cancer sufferers in Stoke, and relief programmes for victims caught in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. University scholarships and theatre donations have also been offered.

Stoke City

In July 2015 Coates was appointed as vice-chairman at Stoke City F.C. where his father is chairman.[6] In September 2020, Coates was appointed as joint-chairman alongside his father.[7]

Personal life

He is married, with two children, and lives in Stoke-on-Trent.[1]

References
  1. "Forbes profile: John Coates". Forbes. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  2. "HILLSIDE (LEISURE) LIMITED - Officers (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  3. Bowers, Simon (2012-06-08). "Denise Coates: the hidden 24/7 woman behind Bet365". the Guardian. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  4. Torrance, Jack (2015-03-03). "More people became billionaires last year than ever before". www.managementtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  5. Bowers, Simon (2014-07-11). "Bet365's Denise Coates sets up £100m charity foundation". the Guardian. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  6. Spinks, Martin (2015-07-02). "Stoke City: John Coates appointed vice chairman". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  7. "Board Announcement". Stoke City. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
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