The founder of Bet365.com, Denise Coates is now officially the highest paid director in the United Kingdom, after her pay packet increased to GBP 265 million in 2018. This was an increase from GBP 217 million which she received the year before. Coates has a base salary of GBP 220 million, while she also received half of the GBP 90 million dividend paid by Bet365.com.
Sky News reports that Coates is now paid a whopping 1,700 x more than the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, as well as three times the total salary paid to the players in the Bet365-owned Premier League football team, Stoke City.
In reference to the latest company report, which showed a 28% rise in pre-tax profits to GBP 660.6 million, Coates commented: “I am pleased to report that the group continued to experience significant growth during the period.”
Bet365.com punters wagered an eye-watering GBP 52.6 BILLION.
Coates reiterated the online gambling giant’s commitment to solving the issue of problem gambling, saying that it was “committed to improving its methods of identifying harmful play” and was on the lookout for new ways to “promote safer gambling across its entire customer base.”
Denise Coates is now number 388 on the Forbes rich list – putting on the same level of Richard Branson and richer than Philip Green and Bernie Ecclestone.