Steven Bartlett Partners With UK Black Business Show Founder On New Media Venture
Steven Bartlett’s Flight Story has partnered with Dr Raphael Sofoluke, founder of the UK Black Business Show, to launch Legacy Black. The 50/50 joint venture aimed at building a global media brand focused on Black business and wealth creation.
The partnership targets over £100 billion ($134 billion) of economic impact over the next decade. It emerged after Bartlett spoke at the UK Black Business Show in 2023, evolving into a media business designed to convert community into a sponsor-backed revenue model.
Flight Story And UK Black Business Show Join Forces
Neither partner has invested cash so far, according to The Times. Instead, each is contributing what they already control. Bartlett’s company, Flight Story, is providing the media playbook, while Sofoluke brings the audience and community built through the UK Black Business Show.
Sofoluke’s track record demonstrates the opportunity. His event launched in 2017 with no sponsors, 25 exhibitors, and 500 attendees. By 2025, it had grown into a week-long program at ExCeL London with over 18 events, 16,000 attendees, and backing from JP Morgan, HSBC, Disney, and Ralph Lauren.
Bartlett brings proven infrastructure. Flight Story has two arms: a studio scaling creator-led brands and an investment fund with holdings including Huel and SpaceX. Its podcast network has generated over 1.2 billion streams, led by his own show Diary of a CEO, which has 14.4 million YouTube subscribers and ranks as the third most popular podcast on Spotify UK.
Read: Steven Bartlett Gets 8-Figure Investment To Build The “Disney Of The Creator Economy”
Building Media Infrastructure For Black Entrepreneurs
Rather than starting with live events, Legacy Black is focused on building media infrastructure. The venture has already launched on social media, made four hires, and begun publishing short-form video and newsletters to build an audience before expanding into long-form content and filmed podcasts.
The goal is to convert Sofoluke’s offline audience into a digital distribution platform that attracts sponsors and amplifies founder visibility. Legacy Black is already in talks with commercial partners, including existing event sponsors.
“We will create the world’s leading media brand and ecosystem for Black entrepreneurship, business, and wealth,” Sofoluke said in a press release. “Partnering with FlightStory gives us the scale, creativity, and reach to take this vision global.”
Image credit: Raphael Sofoluke
