FORMER South Bromsgrove High School student and founder of Gymshark, Ben Francis, has climbed his way on to the The Sunday Times Rich List.

The self made entrepreneur is now worth £700 million, an increase of £562 million from last year, ranking at 226 on the list.

The 28 year old co-founded his successful fitness clothing brand with friend Lewis Morgan in 2012 as two 19-year-old students from his parent’s garage in Bromsgrove.

They manufactured garments on a made- to sell basis, using a sewing machine and a screen printer.

Gymshark, then moved to Moons Moat Industrial Estate in Redditch before relocating to Blythe Valley Business Park in Solihull which is home to more than 500 employees

Talking to The Sunday Times, the ex Pizza Hut delivery driver said: “Eight years ago, pretty much to the day, I was hand-sewing and hand-making products, and hand-packaging them and sticking it in a bag.

"And carrying it down to the Post Office and standing there while each one was stamped and sent out across the world. I’m realising right now just how far we’ve come. We have literally come from hand-stitching a product to being a billion-dollar brand.”

Gymshark has over eight million social media followers from 131 different countries.