Alex Lovén
Alex Lovén MBE | |
|---|---|
 Alex Lovén in 2023 | |
| Born | Alexander Christian Per Lovén 1987 Shrewsbury, England |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder of Net World Sports |
| Awards | Member of the Order of the British Empire (2023) |
Alexander Christian Per Lovén (born 1987) is a British entrepreneur best known for founding the international sports equipment e-commerce business Net World Sports.
Born in Shrewsbury, England, Lovén first began selling cricket bats to his classmates. The business then expanded and operated out of his parents' home, with Lovén establishing Net World Sports in 2009, which moved to nearby Wrexham in 2014.
In 2023, Lovén was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, and in 2025 was stated as the richest person in Wales under the age of 40, with an estimated net worth of £262 million.
Early life and education
[edit]Alexander Christian Per Lovén[1] was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, to his parents Per and Christine,[2] and grew up in Oswestry.[3] He attended Ellesmere College.[4] While still at school, Lovén began selling cricket bats to classmates, after sourcing them online and buying directly from overseas manufacturers,[5] with cricket bats bought from India. Lovén set up shop fronts on Ebay, Amazon and then a website of his own.[6]
In 2020, Lovén offerred internships to pupils of his former school.[7]
Career
[edit]By the age of 17 Lovén quitted college and had saved £13,000 from working at a local builder’s merchants.[6] He invested his savings into his business, which he set up and ran from his parents' home.[1][8]
In 2009, at the age of 22, Lovén officially founded Net World Sports.[9] With the help of his father who assisted with packaging and shipping orders; the business grew rapidly.[10] The business moved to Wrexham Industrial Estate in 2014.[11]
Net World Sports has received various business awards, including the Lloyds Bank Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year, and in 2024 the Department for Business & Trade Exporter of the Year.[12] The company opened a new £25m, 411,000 sq ft headquarters in Wrexham in 2023, and employs more than 200 staff. For the year to 30 September 2023, the company turnover was £77.8m, with a pre-tax profit of £13.9m, up from £9.5m in the year prior.[13][14]
Recognition
[edit]In 2018, Lovén was listed in the Sunday Times Rich List as one of the UK's wealthiest young entrepreneurs.[15] In 2025, he was included in the Times 40 Under 40 rich list as the richest person under 40 in Wales, with an estimated net worth of £262 million.[16][17]
In 2023, Lovén was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's New Year Honours for services to the economy, international trade, and to the community of Wrexham.[1][18][19]
Personal views
[edit]Lovén advocated for Brexit, also claiming the EU would collapse.[20] He later stated support for a No-deal Brexit as the outcome of the Brexit negotiations in 2019.[21]
Lovén's company Net World Sports has had his criticisms of others contained within its annual reports. Its 2021 report had Lovén criticise the low amount of tax multi-national companies pay (particularly Amazon), and stated that HSBC and Lloyds Bank had delayed a deal to purchase a warehouse site leading it to be sold to someone else.[22] The company's 2022 report included Lovén criticisms of COVID-19 pandemic measures for their impact on the economy, mental health and him fending off "Men in Black Suits" which he also described as "mutant humans" and "apparatchiks", as they led to construction delays for the company's new HQ. Lovén supported measures for those most vulnerable, but he also described COVID-19 as a "total waste of time". He stated he has not had any vaccines, and criticised fortnightly booster shots, as well as stating net-zero policies would only lead to more people being "colder and poorer". However, he praised the banks he previously criticised and praised Wrexham itself, stating it was "on the up" and hoped his company can be a "force for good" for the place.[23]
In November 2023, Lovén defended the display of a flag outside Net World Sports' Wrexham headquarters with the words "Woke Free Zone". The flag received criticism from some locals and reported by national media. Lovén stated he believed that "a cloak of wokeness" had taken over society, education, and the media, and created a "sense of entitlement" and "bone idleness". He questioned whether it was "aiding the development of young people", "the world is a tough place" and that "we should be building young people up, not pulling them down". Alongside that flag was a Union Jack and a company brand "Forza" flag. However, none of them had received planning permission by Wrexham council to be displayed at the time.[24][25][26][27]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Lennox, Aaran (2022-12-30). "The North Wales people recognised in the 2023 New Year Honours list". North Wales Live. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ Phillips, Lauren (2022-12-30). "Young entrepreneur and founder of Net World Sports in Wrexham receives MBE". Business Live. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ Knapman, Joshua (2018-10-26). "The 31-year-old who's already one of the richest men in Wales". Wales Online. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ "OE Archives - Ellesmere College". www.ellesmere.com. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Shirreff, Lauren (September 22, 2023). "'I was the poorest kid at school – then I made £1m selling sports gear online'". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ a b Kanter, Jake. "How this 30-year-old entrepreneur made a $70 million fortune from a startup built out of his parents' home". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ "Business internship offered to Ellesmere College pupils". Border Counties Advertizer. 2020-05-06. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ^ "Sunday Times Rich List 2025 reveals Wales' most wealthy". BBC News. May 16, 2025.
- ^ Phillips, Lauren (2022-12-30). "Young entrepreneur and founder of Net World Sports in Wrexham receives MBE". Business Live. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Phillips, Lauren (2022-12-30). "Young entrepreneur and founder of Net World Sports in Wrexham receives MBE". Business Live. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ "Major office expansion for rapidly-growing Wrexham sports supplier". Wrexham.com. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
- ^ "Retail Star Net World Sports wins at the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards". November 13, 2024.
- ^ Media, Insider (2024-08-13). "Future looking bright for Welsh sports retailer after turnover and pre-tax profits surge - Insider Media". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ "NET WORLD SPORTS LIMITED filing history - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
- ^ Williams-Grut, Oscar. "RANKED: Britain's millionaire entrepreneurs under the age of 30". Business Insider.
- ^ Media, Insider (May 27, 2025). "The UK's richest people under 40 in 2025 - including P. Louise, Sir Andy Murray and Harry Styles - Insider Media". Insider Media Ltd.
- ^ Watts, Robert (May 18, 2025). "40 richest people under 40 in the UK". www.thetimes.com.
- ^ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63918/data.pdf
- ^ "Welsh Secretary celebrates 2023 New Year Honours achievements". GOV.UK.
- ^ Kanter, Jake. "Britain's richest young entrepreneur is desperate for Brexit so the UK can escape Europe before it collapses". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ^ Hughes, Owen (2019-01-16). "The North Wales sports millionaire who says 'bring on' no-deal Brexit". North Wales Live. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ^ Hughes, Owen (2021-08-25). "The Welsh entrepreneur who doesn't do boring annual accounts". Business Live. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ^ Hughes, Owen (2022-07-26). "CEO's colourful accounts attack 'Men in Black Suits' and Covid 'b*******'". North Wales Live. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ^ "'Woke Free Zone' flag at Wrexham company sparks complaint". BBC News. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
- ^ Randall, Liam (2024-08-02). "Company put up 'woke-free zone' flag outside its premises". Wales Online. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ Reporters, Telegraph (2024-08-05). "Millionaire sportswear businessman flies 'woke-free zone' flag over HQ". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ^ Mansfield, Mark (2024-08-04). "Sports equipment company seeks permission to fly 'woke-free zone' flag". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 2025-07-18.