Robbie Cartwright, a 21-year-old from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, has built a reselling business that generates £280,000 in monthly revenue without attending university. In June 2026, his firm earned over £280,000 in total revenue, with nearly £220,000 coming from live auctions alone.
From Schoolyard Sales to Business Owner
Cartwright's entrepreneurial journey began in school, where he resold fidget spinners and sweets. He later bought bracelets in bulk and sold them in trays at local pubs. During the 2020 pandemic, when school moved online, he started buying and reselling used clothes and shoes on eBay.
“I had a lot more spare time when school moved online, so I’d be scouring eBay during lessons on my laptop,” Cartwright said. “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.”
Skipping University for Entrepreneurship
Cartwright chose not to pursue a degree, believing entrepreneurship is undervalued in traditional education. “I think entrepreneurship is something which isn’t encouraged,” he said. “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.”
He added, “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.”
Business Growth and Investments
In 2023, Cartwright rented a shop for £600 a month to expand his reselling operation. By May 2026, he had purchased two rental properties, hired up to eight staff all under 21, and bought a Land Rover Defender. He plans to move the business into a 7,000 sq ft unit within six weeks.
Despite the high revenue, Cartwright avoids a flashy lifestyle. He pays himself £12,570 a year and reinvests the rest into 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.”
Personal Philosophy
Cartwright encourages others to follow their passions. “I’ve had an interest in something and I followed it, and it managed to turn into a business. Now I get to do something every day in my life on my own terms,” he said.
