Entrepreneur | Author | Global Speaker
At just 29 years old, Timothy Armoo has accomplished what many spend a lifetime chasing — building and selling a multi-million-pound company. But his journey to becoming a millionaire was anything but typical. Growing up on the fourth floor of a council estate along Old Kent Road in Southwark, one of the most impoverished areas in South London, Armoo faced the harsh reality of poverty and gang violence. From 2005 to 2012, his neighborhood was caught in the crossfire of territorial warfare between Brixton, Peckham, and Old Kent Road — a turbulent time that shaped his drive to escape. But even amidst the chaos, young Timothy was different. At 14, he started a tutoring business, teaching math and connecting peers with other student tutors — taking a small commission for each match. It was a simple idea that revealed a powerful truth to him: money could be a tool for change. His perspective shifted dramatically when he earned a scholarship to a prestigious private boarding school at 16, where he encountered a level of wealth he’d never imagined — one student was even picked up by helicopter. That moment opened his eyes to a new reality: building wealth was possible without being born into it. By 17, Armoo sold his first business, Entrepreneur Express, for £110,000, less than a year after launching it. While his peers dreamed of Oxbridge, he was laser-focused on changing his circumstances. Through clever distribution hacks — turning blog articles into viral social media posts — he monetized the site using advertising and sponsored placements. It wasn’t a billion-dollar idea, but it got him on the first rung of the money ladder.
In 2017, Armoo co-founded Fanbytes, an influencer marketing agency, alongside Ambrose Cooke and Mitchell Fasanya. The idea was simple but powerful: help brands connect with social media influencers to reach Gen Z. Riding the early wave of the creator economy, Fanbytes landed clients like Nike, Amazon, Samsung, and ITV, proving that influencer marketing wasn’t just trendy — it was transformative.
Armoo raised funding step-by-step, from modest £15K seed rounds to £2 million in total capital. His efforts paid off. In 2021, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and in May 2022, he and his co-founders sold Fanbytes to Brainlabs in an eight-figure deal — making them all millionaires. But Armoo always had a plan. For him, the goal was never just to run a business — it was to build something valuable enough to sell. “You make money running a business,” he said, “but you build wealth by selling it.”
Despite being a Black entrepreneur in an industry where funding disparities are well-documented, Armoo never let his identity define his limitations. While others might have seen his presence as an outlier, he saw it as an advantage. “Everyone remembered the bearded Black guy in a room full of white people,” he said. “That makes you memorable.”
Instead of focusing on being a “Black entrepreneur,” Armoo simply focused on being a smart entrepreneur. His pitch to investors was always the same: here’s how this business will make you money. That clarity and confidence, he believes, served him well.
Now financially free before 30, Timothy Armoo is a living testament to the idea that your circumstances don’t define your destiny — your decisions do. From a council flat to boardrooms and exit deals, he’s proof that resilience, strategy, and belief can rewrite any story.
