Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 23, 2026

Fred Done

Fred Done is a British billionaire businessman and the owner of the bookmaking chain Betfred, which has more than 1,600 betting shops in the UK.

Last revised
Jul 23, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
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682 w
Citations
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Wikipedia ↗
Fred Done
OccupationsFounder & Chairman, Betfred
Years active1967–current
OrganizationBetfred
RelativesPeter Done

Fred Done (born March 1943) is a British billionaire businessman and the owner of the bookmaking chain Betfred, which has more than 1,600 betting shops in the UK.12

Early life

Done grew up with three siblings in Ordsall, Greater Manchester.3 Done and his brother Peter Done left school aged 15 without qualifications after working in their father’s illegal bookmaking business.3

Career

In 1967 aged 24, Done opened his first bookmaker with his brother, which they funded by a win on England's victory in 1966 FIFA World Cup the year before.34

By the mid-1980s, they had more than 70 bookmaking shops.5 In 1983, Done founded Peninsula Business Services, which has more than 10 companies operating in employment law, workplace health, and human resources.36

In 1998, Done paid out early Manchester United to win the Premier League title, making him the first bookmaker to pay out early at the end of the season.7

In 2004, Done's chain of bookmakers was renamed Betfred.7

In 2015, Done announced he was in talks to sell a 25% stake in The Tote after buying it from the UK government for £265 million in 2011.8

In 2018, Done made an investment in Adzooma, an online advertising platform based in Nottingham, UK.9

In 2020, Done invested in GGRecon, an esports publisher based in Manchester, UK.1011

In 2021, Done stepped down as the chief executive of Betfred and took up the role of chairman.12

According to the Sunday Times Rich List in May 2025, his and his family's net worth is £2.915 billion.13

In February 2026, Fred Done was listed on the Sunday Times Tax list with an estimated £401.1 million.[1]14

Conflict of interest with Health Assured

In January 2020, Done and his brother came under public scrutiny after reports emerged that Health Assured, another company the two owned, was earning millions of pounds through government contracts to provide gambling addiction treatment for public sector workers. The arrangement prompted conflict of interest allegations from NHS chief Claire Murdoch and a number of MPs.15

Property investments

In 2014, Done, along with Simon Ismail, established Salboy, a Manchester-based property development company. Since its founding, Salboy has developed a number of notable schemes, including Viadux, which will eventually contain the tallest building in Manchester at 245 meters.16 The company is also developing the St Michaels project alongside Gary Neville and his company Relentless, which is due to complete in 2027.17

The construction wing of Salboy, Domis Construction Ltd is partially owned by Done's brother, Peter, and has worked on every Salboy project to date.

References

References

  1. "Billionaire Brothers Bet on William Hill Before Stock Surge". Bloomberg Online. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  2. "Welcome to the Betfred Group". BetFred About Us. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  3. "Who are Fred and Peter Done, the brothers behind Betfred bookmakers?". the Guardian. 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  4. Duke, Simon. "Betfred founders Fred and Peter Done eye sale of 25% stake in the Tote". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  5. "CEO Secrets: From Ordsall poverty to being a billionaire". BBC News. 2021-11-24. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  6. "Who are Peninsula?". Peninsula UK. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  7. "Betfred Corporate – History". www.betfredcorporate.com. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  8. Duke, Simon (25 February 2018). "Betfred founder Fred eyes sale of 25% stake in the Tote". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  9. "Adzooma partners with Google to help SMEs grow online". BusinessCloud.co.uk. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  10. "About GGRecon". GGRecon. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  11. "These Mancs play games for a living: GGRecon is Manchester's best Esports publisher". The Manc. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  12. "Fred Done Appoints Joanne Whittaker as Betfred CEO". GamblingNews. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  13. "The Sunday Times Rich List 2025". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  14. Watts, Robert (2026-01-31). "Who are the UK's biggest taxpayers? The 2026 Tax List revealed". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  15. Davies, Rob (2020-01-16). "Betfred owners make millions from company treating gambling addicts". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  16. Valentine, Charlie (2025-04-10). "UK's tallest tower outside London among Manchester approvals". Place North West. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
  17. Hatmaker, Julia (2024-12-19). "No1 St Michael's fills up in Manchester". Place North West. Retrieved 2025-10-08.