Liverpool council dock owner earns £62m salary after listing his protein shake business on the London Stock Exchange

A Liverpudlian scaffolder has scored a £62 million payday after listing his sports supplement business on the London Stock Exchange.

Thomas Ryder, 41, who was raised by his grandparents on council land following the death of his father, founded sports nutrition brand Applied Nutrition a decade ago.

Since then the business has grown rapidly, becoming one of the fastest growing brands in Europe, sponsoring brands such as Paddy ‘the Baddy’ Plummet and ‘Meatball’ Molly McCann.

After opening his first supplement store, Body Fuel, he began selling muscle-bulking protein powder, creatine and more at the age of 18.

After six years juggling scaffolding jobs and selling nutritional supplements full-time, Mr Ryder founded Applied Nutrition and started working in a small factory in Knowsley.

Mr Ryder has since sold 19 per cent of his listed business’ shares worth £350 million.

His company’s exponential growth has attracted the attention of major UK retail chains such as Mohsin Issa, co-owner of Asda, and Tom Morris, who founded Home Bargains.

Peter Cowgill, one of JD Sports’ largest shareholders and former chairman, has also invested in a personal capacity.

The entrepreneur continues to own a 34 percent stake in the fitness supplement business.

His partner Lydia Paxton, with whom he has worked for several years, was appointed head of HR last year, but she reports to the chief operating officer, not Mr Ryder.

‘I’ve always been passionate about supplements and ingredients,’ he said Telegram.

‘But when I left school this industry was nowhere near what it is today.

‘This was still a bodybuilder’s industry. It’s never been my thing, but I’ve always been interested in the benefits of supplements.’

Now the Liverpudlian businessman has his sights set on the lake with high hopes for his American dreams.

He told the publication: ‘The USA is the big target. We are in an industry worth £189bn and the US accounts for 50 per cent of that.

‘You can’t ignore the fact that this is by far the biggest opportunity.’

He added: ‘Our priority is to continue growing. We haven’t scratched the surface of where we could be. ‘The growth opportunity ahead is huge.’

But gym fanatics aren’t his only audience, as Mr. Ryder hopes to attract those who use weight-loss shots like WeGovy.

He said injections often prevent people from eating, which means they lose ‘protein, minerals, vitamins, etc.’ He stated that it means ‘deficiency’ and that he believes that these can be reinforced.

‘It’s great that you’re losing weight but you have to replace the goodness in your body.

‘And we’d love to work with the NHS and anyone who prescribes these drugs,’ he adds.

Although Applied Nutrition is going global, the businessman has no plans to move his base from Knowsley, Merseyside.

But the entrepreneur has never strayed far from his roots, having previously sponsored Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann as Liverpool’s local ambassadors in 2023.

he said Liverpool Echo then: ‘They are both Liverpool people through and through and understand the importance of community.

‘They want to give back to their communities, just like us. ‘It’s nice to use local people in Liverpool to showcase the brand.’