Shaye Bhattessa-Sharma is 15 years old and is currently studying at the City of London School. He founded Football Billionaire the board game recently. He is the youngest ever to appear in Dragon’s Den and he received investment from the longest-running dragon Peter Jones. He is a huge football fan (CHELSEA) and a goalkeeper for his school team and has also qualified for the youth World Cup in Gothia Sweden. He loves playing board games, especially chess and was the school Chess Champion for 2 years running at his previous school and qualified for the London Chess finals. He loves public speaking and has started his own social media channels @footballbillionaire on Instagram and TikTok. He really wants to be the best he can be and want to focus on everything positive, body and mind, to become a positive role model for today’s Gen Z.
1 Which place, city or country do you feel most comfortable in?
This is such an easy question to answer. Although I love traveling with my family to many countries, there is only one city I love with a passion, and that is my hometown, London. I have so many friends and family here and it has the best restaurants, museums, and culture in the world. (It’s also home to the Chelsea football club!)
2 What are your proudest achievements?
My recent appearance in Dragon’s Den is at the top right now! The selection process is rigorous with various interview stages. After being shortlisted and selected, I travelled up to Manchester with my father to do the pitch and filming at the Granada Studios. The night before we were put up in a hotel. Once we were at the studios, we were welcomed and treated incredibly well, with our own dressing room and makeup artist before being led to the famous lift taking us face to face with the Dragons, all of whom I have the utmost respect for. I had the privilege to pitch to them and was very proud and also relieved to then receive such high praise and an offer from both Touker and Peter. A dream come true, side by side with my father!
3 What inspires you?
My family has really inspired me. I have grown up being surrounded by role models, from my Grandparents, my parents, uncles and aunties, my brother, cousins, etc, they have all given me their unconditional love with a lot of support. Each and everyone works extremely hard and achieves so much yet remains humble and true to themselves and their roots. This is the most inspirational.
4 What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
My career is only just beginning but I guess my age is. Starting this business so young means I was not taken so seriously. I cannot even legally be the Director of my own company and in most cases have to send my father to most meetings.
I go along where I can, but people appreciate my passion, drive, and perseverance once they get to know me!
5 Who has been the biggest influence in your career to date?
My Grandfather Vinu Bhattessa who is a Hotelier has been a huge influence and taught me “to be a thinker and doer” rather than just a thinker and having regrets in your life, my mother Reena for all the daily lessons and hard work she does for me and my brother. And my father Raj. As I’ve grown up, I saw him launch businesses from nothing and see them grow, and this is a huge influence on me and what I want to achieve.
6 What is the best aspect about your current role?
There is nothing better than having an idea and then bringing that idea to life. With my board game FOOTBALL BILLIONAIRE, from thinking of the concept to seeing it on shelves and getting rave 5-star reviews on our website and Amazon and comments saying that the game is better than Monopoly is brilliant!
7 And the worst?
The worst I suppose is sometimes having to say no to your friends and working on projects while others are going out. However, nothing in life comes without hard work focus and dedication, and if you love what you do as I do, then it doesn’t feel like work. Then I’ll have plenty of time to enjoy and celebrate!
8 What are your long-term goals?
Firstly, we are launching a new non-football-related board game just called BILLIONAIRE where you collect sets but instead of just properties, you can buy supercars, private jets, yachts, and houses. Hopefully, it will be good enough to rival monopoly! I think playing boardgames are such great family fun, something we have done at home since I can remember, and I think there’s a huge place for this kind of fun. We have now produced only 1000 First Edition Collector’s items, available on a first come first served basis, available now at Billionaireboardgames.com
We then plan to launch our games in the US and get into the key retailers and then sell the company in up to 4 years. I’m working on my GCSEs now, so I’ll go to University after finishing my A Levels, and hopefully land a good job before following my father and grandfather’s footsteps and taking the entrepreneurial route.
9 If you were prime minister, what one aspect would you change?
I love Rishi Sunak, I think he has a tough job at hand, but he is great and would hope to follow in his footsteps one day. I would however like to reshuffle most of my Cabinet and bring in people who really care and are capable of making real change and have the desire to make a real difference above and beyond their personal ambitions. They should have real accountability for their actions, both negative and positive, and a will to bring unity and make the world a better place.
10 If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
Gandhi. Although I may not believe in all of his philosophies and the decisions that he made, I think he was a truly inspirational human being, with a pure heart and soul and one whose intentions were always as he believed to be for the good of his people and mankind.
