Fred Done

Fred Done (born March 1943) is a British billionaire businessman and the owner of the bookmaking chain Betfred, which has more than 1,600 betting shops in the UK.^[1][2]

Fred Done
Nationality	British
Occupation(s)	Founder & Chairman, Betfred
Years active	1967–current
Organization	Betfred
Relatives	Peter Done

Early life

Done grew up with three siblings in Ordsall, Greater Manchester.^[3] Done and his brother Peter Done left school aged 15 without qualifications after working in their father’s illegal bookmaking business.^[3]

Career

In 1967 aged 24, Done opened his first bookmaker with his brother, which they funded by a win on England's victory in 1966 FIFA World Cup the year before.^[3][4]

By the mid-1980s, they had more than 70 bookmaking shops.^[5] In 1983, Done founded Peninsula Business Services, which has more than 10 companies operating in employment law, workplace health, and human resources.^[3][6]

In 1998, Done paid out early Manchester United to win the Premier League title, making him the first bookmaker to pay out early at the end of the season.^[7]

In 2004, Done's chain of bookmakers was renamed Betfred.^[7]

In 2015, Done announced he was in talks to sell a 25% stake in The Tote after buying it from the UK government for £265 million in 2011.^[8]

In 2018, Done made an investment in Adzooma, an online advertising platform based in Nottingham, UK.^[9]

In 2020, Done invested in GGRecon, an esports publisher based in Manchester, UK.^[10][11]

In 2021, Done stepped down as the chief executive of Betfred and took up the role of chairman.^[12]

In 2023, the Sunday Times Rich List estimated Done's net worth to be £1.87 billion.^[13]

According to the Sunday Times Rich List in May 2025, his and his family's net worth is £2.915 billion.^[14]

Property investments

In 2014, Done, along with Simon Ismail, established Salboy, a Manchester-based property development company. Since its founding, Salboy has developed a number of notable schemes, including Viadux, which will eventually contain the tallest building in Manchester at 245 meters^[15]. The company is also developing the St Michaels project alongside Gary Neville and his company Relentless, which is due to complete in 2027^[16].

The construction wing of Salboy, Domis Construction Ltd is partially owned by Done's brother, Peter, and has worked on every Salboy project to date.