Denise Coates, the UK’s highest-paid woman, earned £150 million in salary and dividends last year, despite a 45% pay cut. This comes after a significant rise in Bet365’s profits, according the sources.
Decline in Earnings
Coates, believed to be Bet365’s joint-CEO, received £158.7 million last year. This is a sharp drop from the £270 million she earned in 2023, including salary and dividends. Her 2024 earnings included £94.7 million in salary and £64 million in dividends from her 58% stake in Bet365.
Family Shares in Success
Coates’ brother, John Coates, who is also a co-CEO, received part of the £110 million dividend payout alongside Denise.
Bet365’s Strong Performance
Bet365 achieved a pretax profit of £596 million last year. The company also saw a 9% increase in turnover, reaching £3.7 billion. This growth is linked to its sports, gaming, and ownership of Stoke City football club.
Coates’ Impressive Wealth
Coates has an estimated family fortune of nearly £8 billion. She consistently ranks as one of Britain’s top executives. In 2020, her earnings hit a record £466 million due to a pandemic-fueled boom. She followed this with £300 million in 2021.
Risky Business Move
Coates’ success started in 2000 when she mortgaged her father’s betting shops to launch an online business with her brother. This bold move set the foundation for her fortune.
Coates vs. Global CEOs
Despite her pay cut, Coates’ compensation is still higher than that of many global CEOs. For example, Apple CEO Tim Cook earned $63.2 million in 2023, just a third of Coates’ total earnings.
