Long before Matt Fiddes became a wealthy entrepreneur, he says he was earning only £2.75 an hour as a lifeguard while trying to build a martial arts business.
He saved £100, started teaching classes and struggled to turn his passion into something bigger. In a recent interview, Fiddes recalled living cheaply and using his lifeguard wages to fund his early ambitions.
Then Michael Jackson entered his life.
Fiddes, who has described himself as Michael’s former bodyguard and close friend, says he met the singer through Uri Geller while still very young.
And according to Fiddes, Michael became an unexpected business mentor.
Michael did not simply tell him to work harder.
Fiddes says Michael was obsessed with setting bigger goals and taught him to think about franchising rather than personally running every martial arts school himself.
At the time, Fiddes had around five schools and believed he might have reached his limit.
Michael encouraged him to think differently.
Fiddes later explained: “Michael was a big believer in goal setting.” He said Michael helped him understand how franchising could allow one successful business model to be repeated in many different locations.
That idea changed the scale of what he was building.
Instead of earning only from classes he personally taught, Fiddes expanded the Matt Fiddes Martial Arts brand through a franchise network. It later grew into other areas including dance, fitness and additional businesses.
Today, Fiddes and business sources describe his wider brand as being worth around £120 million, with more than a thousand locations connected to his franchise network. The £120 million figure is a reported business valuation rather than independently verified personal cash wealth.
Matt Fiddes Talks About Michael Jackson and Building His Business
The interview covers Fiddes’ rise as an entrepreneur, meeting Michael and the influence Michael had on his thinking.
What makes the story interesting is that Fiddes does not credit Michael with simply handing him a fortune.
He credits him with something potentially more valuable: teaching him to stop thinking like the owner of a few martial arts classes and start thinking about a business that could grow without him being in every room.
Michael Jackson is remembered for music, dancing and record-breaking success.
But according to Fiddes, one of the King of Pop’s biggest influences on him happened away from the stage: Michael taught him to think bigger.